Michelle Obama Reacts To Divorce Rumours: 'Chose To Do What's Best For Me'

Divorce rumours were quick to do the rounds as former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were spotted together less frequently. Michelle, an attorney and author, chose to stay away from many gatherings and political events like President Donald Trump's inauguration or former President Jimmy Carter's funeral. In a recent podcast interview, she addressed these speculations, dismissing claims about their separation. She said she was focusing on her well-being and making conscious choices to utilise her time in meaningful ways.

Michelle Obama on divorce rumours

In a conversation with Sophia Bush on the Work In Progress podcast, Michelle Obama opened up about shifts in her life since leaving the White House eight years ago. Now that her daughters Malia and Sasha are adults, she said that she has found the freedom to revise her priorities and focus on herself.

"I could have made a lot of these decisions years ago, but I didn't give myself that freedom. Maybe even as much as I let my kids live their own lives, I use their lives as an excuse for why I couldn't do something," she said, according to CNN. Her choice to stay away from high-profile events was so she could focus on self-care, she said.

"I get to look at my calendar, which I did this year, was a real big example of me, myself looking at something that I was supposed to do - you know, without naming names - and I chose to do what was best for me, not what I had to do, not what I thought other people wanted me to do," Michelle told the podcast host.

The former First Lady also urged more women to put themselves first. "We as women, I think we struggle with, like disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know - 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," she said.

Michelle Obama has often discussed intimate parts of her life and encouraged women to take control of their lives. In her memoir 'Becoming,' she opened up about periods of dealing with loneliness and exhaustion during their time in the White House. She has also delivered powerful speeches that have inspired countless women and girls.