COUPLESMichelle Obama Admits Her Marriage to Barack Is Constantly 'on Display' Due to Being in the 'Limelight' — But They 'Choose Each Other Every Time'
On 'TODAY With Jenna & Friends,' Michelle Obama opened up about the challenges of a very public relationship with husband Barack.
Jan. 2 2026, Updated 2:48 p.m. ET
Michelle Obama is staying grounded in her marriage to husband Barack — despite constant public attention.
During a re-aired episode of TODAY With Jenna & Friends on Friday, January 2, the former first lady, 61, reflected on how she remains level-headed and keeps the flame alive.
Michelle Obama tunes out the public to focus on her relationship with husband Barack.
Michelle recalled how she and Barack, 64, turned state dinners into their date nights when he was the president.
“He would be seated in the salon….we’d have champagne. He’d never know what dress I was going to wear. The trifecta of my team would buzz around, and then we’d cut through, and he’d be waiting. Everybody would sit and watch his reaction,” she remembered.
Michelle Obama guest-starred on 'TODAY With Jenna & Friends.'
No matter how many staff members they were surrounded with, the couple would always find each other.
“When you’re in the limelight, when your marriage is on display, when you’re the president and first lady, it’s really those simple moments where you sort of have to be quiet, look each other in the eye, and remember that you know one another,” Michelle explained. “Regardless of the lights and the clicking and the limousines and the beautiful dresses, in the end, it’s just me and you…and we choose each other every time.”
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Michelle and Barack Obama have been married for over 32 years.
The duo recently celebrated Christmas together with a sweet selfie shared to Instagram in December 2025.
“Merry Christmas! Barack and I send you our heartfelt wishes for a blessed holiday and joyful start to the new year,” they captioned a collab post.
Michelle wore a black lace dress, while Barack donned a beige jacket layered over a black sweater and trousers.
Michelle and Barack Obama share two daughters.
The lovers faced breakup rumors in early 2025 when the politician attended both Jimmy Carter’s January 2025 funeral and Donald Trump’s inauguration solo. However, Michelle denied the buzz last June during an appearance on the “Wild Card” podcast.
"The fact that people don’t see me going out on a date with my husband sparks rumors of the end of our marriage," she expressed. "It’s like, ‘OK, so we don’t Instagram every minute of our lives.’ We are 60. We’re 60, y’all. You just are not gonna know what we’re doing every minute of the day."
Michelle Obama clapped back at breakup rumors last year.
The 61-year-old also explained why she was absent from the high-profile events.
"One of the major decisions I made this year was to stay put and not attend funerals and inaugurations and all the things that I’m supposed to attend,” she said. "That was a part of me using my ambition to say, ‘Let me define what I want to do, apart from what I’m supposed to do, what the world expects of me.’ And I have to own that. Those are my choices. Whatever the backlash was, I had to sit in it and own it. But I didn’t regret it, you know? It’s my life now, and I can say that now. But we’ll see."
