cover 21
Michelle Obama jokingly pointed out that when she first met Barack Obama, his bank account wasn’t exactly impressive.
This playful remark comes amidst speculation that Michelle and Barack may be facing a costly divorce.
Michelle, 61, reflected on her relationship during an episode of her podcast, IMO, which she co-hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson.
During the conversation, British author and life coach Jay Shetty asked Michelle, “Would you be attracted to a guy who’s not financially stable when you meet him?”
Her response? “Uh, I married one,” she joked.
The couple first met in 1988 when Barack started a summer job at a Chicago law firm where Michelle was already employed.
Michelle recalled, “I left my corporate firm when I met Barack. I had someone who was like, ‘I’ve got your back. The risks you think you’re taking aren’t that crazy, and I’m here to help you.'”
She went on, “That’s when I realized, ‘I’d rather have that in a partner than a higher income. I’d rather have someone who’s ready to tackle hard things with me. But that meant I had to be ready to do some hard things with him, too.'”
Now, sources suggest Michelle’s comments could hint at a potential split.
An insider revealed, “Michelle talking about how she supported Barack before his success is a clear sign that there are financial talks happening behind closed doors. It also suggests that their negotiations aren’t going smoothly, and she may be positioning herself to claim a portion of everything he has.”
Michelle and Barack, who married in 1992, are reportedly preparing to end their marriage. The two are believed to already be discussing how to divide their wealth, including $70 million in assets.
A source close to the situation shared, “They want to have everything sorted out in advance. The last thing they want is a messy fight with a lot of nasty legal filings.”
Another insider added that Barack, 63, and Michelle are keeping their issues under wraps and aim to reach a private agreement before making their split public.
“They want to have everything settled beforehand. The last thing they want is an ugly legal battle,” the source said. “They own homes in D.C., Martha’s Vineyard, and Chicago, plus a stock portfolio worth over $25 million.”
In a past podcast conversation, Michelle opened up about the challenges of being in the White House during Barack’s presidency.
She explained, “Being married to the president of the United States is something none of us really expected. We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know…”
While she initially didn’t want her charismatic husband to run for president, Michelle credited her brother Craig for convincing her to support his decision.
“You talked me into supporting his run,” Michelle told Craig. “He was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea. Because I was definitely like, no, no way.”
Neither Michelle nor Barack have publicly addressed the rumors surrounding their relationship.
