Former First Lady Michelle Obama made it clear she doesn’t like being referred to as ‘Mrs. Obama’ amid ongoing rumors that her marriage to Barack Obama is in turmoil.
Michelle, 61, appeared on Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang’s Las Culturistas podcast Wednesday with her brother Craig Robinson, where she shared her reservations about her surname.
During their sit-down, Matt revealed that before cameras started rolling, Michelle had asked him not to call her ‘Mrs. Obama’ after he referred to her as the nickname.
‘Earlier I was like, “Thank you so much, Mrs. Obama,” and you said, “Michelle,”‘ Matt began the podcast.
‘I did say that,’ she responded with a laugh, before explaining why she likes to avoid the name.
‘We cannot have a real conversation if you’re saying, “Mrs Obama,” that’s too many syllables,’ the former first lady protested.
Matt then asked if she is usually pretty quick to ‘put down that shield for people,’ and Michelle admitted she was constantly trying to appear less intimidating.
‘I was trying to do that when I was first lady because I just think… I am not that position. I am Michelle,’ she explained.
The mom-of-two added that she would let kids call her ‘Mrs. because they’re learning,’ but didn’t feel comfortable with adults referring to her as that, especially when she was trying to connect to them.
‘I’m always trying to break down that wall to say, “We’re just all here,”‘ she continued. ‘And the first thing to do is like, let’s drop that title, that’s a little heavy.’
The former first lady said people calling her Mrs. Obama ‘changes the dynamic.’
‘So I’m Michelle,’ she simply said.
‘I know what we call her – your Highness,’ her brother Craig quipped.
‘Well, it’s great to be on a first name basis,’ Matt joked.
The Obamas have been married for over 30 years but have faced ongoing rumors about their marriage status over the last several months.
Michelle dismissed speculation about marital issues and addressed the rumors head on during a podcast episode of The Diary of a CEO last month.
During the episode, she told the hosts, ‘If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it.’
Michelle praised her husband on her latest podcast episode as a ‘tremendous father.’
She said that even when Barack was president, he left the job at the door whenever he talked to his daughters to help cultivate their formative years.
Rumors surrounding the Obama’s relationship began when Michelle skipped several high-profile events, including Donald Trump’s inauguration and former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
