Michelle Obama Responds to Rumors She and Husband Barack Are Divorcing: 'I Was Making a Choice for Myself'

Michelle Obama has broken her silence on speculation she and her husband, Barack, were separating.

The former first lady surprisingly addressed rampantly spreading rumors about her and Barack's relationship during the Wednesday, April 9, episode of the "Work in Progress With Sophia Bush" podcast.

"The interesting thing is that, when I say 'no,' for the most part people are like, 'I get it, and I'm okay,'" she explained to host Sophia Bush. "That's the thing that we as women, I think...we struggle with disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were...they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing."

"This couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?" Michelle, 61, asked. "But that's what society does to us. We start actually, finally going, 'What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?' And if it doesn't fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible."

Michelle was seemingly referring to backlash she faced — and the divorce rumors that followed — after she missed Jimmy Carter's funeral and skipped Donald Trump's presidential inauguration earlier this year.

While social media users spread theories her lack of attendance at the two major events had to due with tension in her marriage, the mom-of-two, who shares daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, with Barack, 63, insisted otherwise.