Everyone loves Barack and Michelle Obama, but sadly, their relationship isn’t safe from red flags as there are tell-tale signs of them. If we had to talk about just one, it would be Michelle Obama’s recent choice to step back from appearing with her husband.
Barack Obama has been dining solo of late and the former First Lady is constantly opting to not accompany her husband to high-profile public events. The Becoming author first missed former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral, where the likes of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden came with their partners.
Michelle Obama’s advisors told CNN that Michelle was on vacation in Hawaii and could not attend the events due to a “scheduling conflict.” If that wasn’t enough, her absence raised a wave of speculations about the possibility of the power couple getting a divorce. Recently, Michelle also skipped Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony, further adding fuel to the fire.
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People, however, claimed that she refused to attend the inaugural event because of her well-known feud with the Republican candidate, stating, “There’s no overstating her feelings about [Trump]. She’s not one to plaster on a pleasant face and pretend for protocol’s sake.” Another source told Page Six, “She’s never been fake and she’s never been phony. She’s always been very deliberate about where and how she shows up.”
That being said, here are some of the glaring red flags in the once-seemingly-bulletproof marriage of Barack and Michelle Obama
Their Love Languages Differ
Michelle and Barack Obama share a different love language and have an opposite resolution technique when it comes to fights. While speaking with Oprah Winfrey on The Light Podcast, Michelle said that she grew up being very close to her family and showed affection by spending time with each other. She said, “Love for me was showing up. It was like, yeah, yeah, stop kissing me. Just do the laundry.”
Michelle even explained that whenever the couple disagreed,”[Barack and I] also are temperamentally different. Guess what I am? Kind of hot headed.” She further adds, the former president mostly wants to have a rational conversation with her and fix the issue.
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This is completely different from how she wants to handle conflict. “I’m like, rational? Rational? Don’t come to me with sense. I’m angry. Don’t come to me with your three bullet points. You better get out of here and let me cool down,” she remarked.
It seems like the Obamas have a very different perspective when it comes to a relationship and are very aware of their differences. This keeps their relationship healthy as well as they seem to be learning to appreciate the different ways they handle situations.
Their Body Language Seems Off
Barack and Michelle Obama do not always put up a united front when it comes to body language. There are rumors of the couple’s romance dying out back in December 2024, when they looked off and distanced while exiting a restaurant.
Barack was a few steps away from Michelle and body language expert Judy James, said, “[There were] no sign of any chatting or coupling up between them. [Barack] looks rather somber here but otherwise relaxed.” The couple did not spark a conversation even when they got in the car.
Barack and Michelle Obama spotted on cozy date night at LA hotspot https://t.co/OmbX4q0WHW pic.twitter.com/dZmuAvGe88
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) December 15, 2024
Judy added, “Michelle looks relaxed and happy walking to the car but there are no active signals of togetherness for the cameras, with Barack himself wearing a more serious or dour expression.”
Michelle Did Not Like Barack for 10 Years
Relationship experts say that there are times when a person loves their partner but does not necessarily like them. However, it definitely is a red flag if someone doesn’t like their partner for a whole long decade. Michelle Obama told Revolt, “For 10 years while we’re trying to build our careers and, you know, worrying about school and who’s doing what and what, I was like, ‘Ugh!'”
Michelle Obama Gave Up Her Career for Their Marriage
Couples do give up their career for their partners and there is nothing wrong with that. More often than not partners choose to support their family, but it needs to be imperative for both partners as they need to discuss their expectations and agree with each other.
It is a red flag when someone feels pressured to leave their work as it can lead to resentment and fulfillment. It is also a red flag if one assumes anything regarding their partner’s goals and ambitions.
In her book Becoming, which was released in 2019, Michelle explained that Barack Obama assumed she didn’t want to give up her career and dreams even if they married. However, she wanted something polar opposite. She wrote, “For me, marriage was more like a full-on merger, a reconfiguring of two lives into one, with the well-being of a family taking precedence over any one agenda or goal.”
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And while there haven’t been any confirmations or dismissals from either of their ends, Barack Obama took to Instagram to wish Michelle on her birthday which many thought was an attempt at quashing the divorce rumors.
