COUPLESBarack and Michelle Obama Share a Sweet Smooch in Never-Seen Throwback Photo After Former President Addressed 'Tension' in Marriage
Barack and Michelle Obama married in 1992.
May 12 2026, Published 4:13 p.m. ET
Kisses from the misses!
Barack Obama posted a sweet throwback photo on May 10 of his wife, Michelle, giving him a smooch.
The Cute Snapshot Appears to Have Been Taken During Barack Obama's Presidency
Barack and Michelle Obama share two daughters together, Malia and Sasha.
The never-before-seen snapshot shared to Instagram featured the former president, 64, sitting at his desk in an office as the Becoming author, 62, bent down to kiss him.
The photo appeared to have been taken during his presidency, which lasted from 2009 until 2017.
The couple's youngest daughter, Sasha, now 24, is sitting on his lap as their eldest child, Malia, now 27, smiled as she stood beside him.
Life at the White House Negatively Affected the Obamas' Marriage
The former POTUS shared the sweet image in honor of Mother's Day on May 10.
“Wishing all the moms out there a wonderful Mother’s Day! To @MichelleObama, I’m grateful for all the ways you’ve shown up for our daughters and our family over the years. We love you,” he captioned the photo.
The politician has been candid in the past about how life at the White House didn't have the best impact on his marriage to Michelle.
The pair tied the knot in 1992 after meeting three years earlier at the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin LLP.
Barack divulged in a New Yorker profile published on May 4 how staying involved in politics amid Donald Trump's presidency has put "tension" on his marriage.
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Barack Obama previously confessed there was 'genuine tension' in his marriage due to his political career.
"She wants to see her husband easing up and spending more time with her, enjoying what remains of our lives," he said of Michelle, adding his recent campaign work “does create a genuine tension in our household, and it frustrates her."
“I’m more forgiving of it, in the sense that I understand why people feel that way, because people aren’t looking at me in historical comparison to other presidents,” Barack noted.
“They don’t care about the fact that no other ex-president was the main surrogate for the party for four election cycles after they left office," he continued.
Barack Obama Admitted He Was 'in a Deep Deficit' With Michelle
Divorce rumors once plagued the Obamas.
Michelle and Barack also battled divorce rumors in recent years, however, the ex-POTUS pushed back on the idea during a conversation with Hamilton College president Steven Tepper in April 2025.
“I was in a deep deficit with my wife,” Barack said at the time. “So I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things."
In a 2022 interview on Revolt TV, the Light We Carry writer admitted she “couldn’t stand” her husband for a decade when their daughters were coming of age.
“Marriage isn’t 50/50 — ever, ever," she stated.
