PoliticsBarack Obama's Shocking 3-Word Joke to Wife Michelle After Her Mother's Death Revealed
Michelle Obama revealed her husband was able to find some morbid levity after her mother's death.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama claimed her husband, former President Barack Obama, joked about his wife being "next up" after her mother's death.
Michelle reflected on the loss of her mother, Marian Robinson, alongside her brother, Craig Robinson, on their "IMO" podcast as she recounted the emotional journey she had to take.
Barack's Response to Michelle's Mother's Death
During the May 7 episode of the podcast, the mother-of-two revealed her husband was able to find some morbid levity after her mother's death, claiming, "Barack was saying, you know, 'Well, you’re next up.'"
“I’m not really ready to be next up. I told him, 'You're next up and Craig is next up. I delegate that power to you,'" she continued.
The Emotional Shock of Losing a Parent
Michelle's family was rocked by the death of their beloved matriarch, who passed away at the age of 86 in May 2024.
The 61-year-old former first lady made the heartbreaking announcement via social media. “That’s really when you become an adult, is when your parents are not in that spot of managing and maintaining,” Michelle shared, grappling with the reality of their loss. “But that’s going to happen at some point where each of us in our own lives, we become the parent, we become the convener, we become the glue.” The siblings agreed that living without their parents meant facing “big shoes to fill.” “It’s a major shift in your life,” she noted. “I don’t care how old you get. Mom and dad are mom and dad. Even when I was taking care of mom, I still gotta listen to her. I can sort of boss her around, but in the end, she’s my mother.”
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Michelle reflected on the comfort that came from their mother’s wisdom: “There’s a comfort level in that, knowing that no matter how wise or experienced I am in the world, mom always knew more.”
She also pointed out how losing a parent is "a big dose of truth," especially when someone isn’t entirely prepared for the final goodbye.
Family Bonding Over Loss
Michelle and her siblings took solace in knowing their mother left clear instructions regarding her wishes. “The listeners should know that mom’s been threatening to drop dead for 20 years,” Craig shared on their podcast. “She has been preparing us for this. So, she left very direct instructions on what she wanted and how she wanted things to be. We had to take that into account.” Michelle highlighted that their mother desired a simple farewell: "I was concerned about making sure that you, my brother, felt seen in our decisions to memorialize her, because it becomes a production."
Craig assured her that he felt included in the decisions made. “As we both know, mom wanted it, like, ‘I don’t want an hour and a half memorial.’ I think she was worried about the time, she was worried about the amount of money we spent on it,” he explained. “She wanted to make sure that family was going to be involved, and you made sure all of that took place.”
