Barack and Michelle Obama said goodbye to the White House eight years ago. However, post-presidency life hasn’t been the kindest to their union. After 32 years of marriage that survived two terms as president and first lady, the couple now potentially face their biggest hurdle yet. So, are Michelle Obama and Barack Obama getting a diverse? Here’s everything we know about the rumors that have rocked their world.
With the tension of the Democratic Party losing the November, 2024 elections, fans began noticing cracks in their relationship. However, the truth about the Obamas’ union finally came to light after several questionable public appearances, forcing the power couple to confront their biggest fears.
It All Began With A Shocking Michelle Obama No Show

Barack and Michelle put on a united front while campaigning for former VP Kamala Harris during the election cycle. However, Donald Trump’s victory brought about a change in the air in the couple’s chemistry. It first became obvious when the 44th president attended the memorial service for late President Jimmy Carter solo. All five living presidents and their first wives — except Mrs. Obama — were present at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, to pay tribute to the former world leader. Michelle’s absence made Mr. Obama seatmates with Trump, causing an unlikely friendship. Barack was seen laughing and chatting with Trump, whom Michelle doesn’t vibe with and has publicly spoken against.
Weeks later, it was confirmed that the Becoming author would skip Trump’s inauguration ceremony on January 20. Her team blamed the absence on a scheduling conflict, saying Michelle was “still in Hawaii on an extended holiday vacation.”
Was There A Third Party Involved In Michelle Obama and Barack Obama’s Divorce?
With Michelle missing two major political events, the divorce rumors heated up even more. In no time, Jennifer Aniston was introduced as the third party who had an affair with the former president. The rumors first began in August, 2024 when InTouch published a story titled ‘The Truth About Jen & Barack.’
However, the Friends actress was quick to debunk the allegations during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live months later. Aniston slammed the story as a “cheesy tabloid” before joking, “I was not mad at it, but that is absolutely untrue.” She also recalled meeting the former president once at a 2007 Hollywood gala. Unfortunately, her denial of an affair did nothing to quell the rumors. An insider alleged to Radar Online that the Aniston scandal caused a major rift for the Obamas.
“The Obamas are having a tough time, there’s no doubt about that. Their once solid marriage has come under strain, and for the first time, they’re struggling to keep a lid on their problems. The Aniston ‘affair’ attention was unwanted, and Michelle felt let down by it all. But the reality is they are more like friends at the moment, the spark has gone.”
What Has Been Said About Michelle Obama and Barack Obama’s Divorce Rumors?

It didn’t take much for fans to believe the reports, especially since Barack and Michelle made more solo appearances. In February, 2025, for the first time amid the rumors, Michelle was seen in public, and Barack was nowhere in sight. The former first lady joined her brother, Craig Robinson, for dinner at a Hollywood hotspot. Weeks later, her husband attended the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Detroit game without Michelle.
It wasn’t until March that Michelle finally broke her silence on the rumors. The mother of two addressed why she missed two significant political events, particularly Trump’s inauguration, during an appearance on Sophia Bush’s podcast Work In Progress. She explained that her newfound independence away from the White House fueled the divorce rumors because fans couldn’t understand her choosing herself.
“That’s the thing that we as women struggle with — disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year, people couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself. That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.”
She further called skipping the inauguration “the right thing to do.” The 61-year-old then directly addressed the news of the divorce on the May 1 episode of The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett podcast, saying:
“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it.”
Pointing to her brother, who joined her on the podcast, Michelle added, “He would know it. And everybody would know it. I’m not a martyr. I would be problem-solving in public. ‘Let me tell you what he did.’”
The Princeton native further noted that despite publicly discussing the rocky parts of her marriage, she and Barack have never gotten close to considering a divorce.
“The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was really ever gonna quit at it, ’cause that’s not who we are,” she said. “And I know that about him. He knows that about me.”
Being in the spotlight is difficult for any marriage, and not even the strongest of bonds are immune to the struggles. But as for whether Michelle Obama and Barack Obama are getting a divorce, it seems that luckily this power couple seems to be going strong — against all odds. Hopefully, they make it to year 33 and beyond.