As speculation about Michelle and Barack Obama’s marriage continues to circulate, Michelle is adding a new layer of intrigue—by getting candid about her nightly “battle” in bed with the former president and her hard boundary: no touching!
Rumors about trouble in paradise have been floating around for a while, fueled in part by Michelle’s increasingly independent profile—think best-selling books, a hit podcast, and a wildly successful speaking tour. The chatter grew louder when Michelle skipped major public events earlier this year, including Donald Trump’s second inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. Fans and political watchers couldn’t help but wonder: what’s really going on?
Back to Therapy
In early May, the 61-year-old opened up on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, revealing that she’s back in therapy to help process her next chapter after life in the White House.
“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning,” Michelle said. “I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life—with my family still intact.”
She reflected on becoming an empty nester and the personal shift it’s brought. “Now for the first time, every choice I make is completely mine. I don’t have the excuse of, ‘My kids need this,’ or ‘My husband needs that,’ or even, ‘The country needs that.’ So how do I think about this next phase?”
Breathing Room
Just a week later, Michelle spoke with Amy Poehler on her Good Hang podcast, where she talked about enjoying the freedom that came with stepping away from public life.
“I want to try to do normal things,” she said. “I want to feel like I’m by myself.” She mentioned driving solo more often and enjoying simple independence.
She admitted that the pressure of being First Lady, and part of such a high-profile couple, meant there wasn’t much room for mistakes. “We felt like we couldn’t get anything wrong,” she said. “And in this space, I can be loose. I can stutter. I can misspeak—even though I know that’ll probably make the news.”
The Bedroom “Battle”
And make the news she did—thanks to a humorous, yet all-too-relatable moment she shared with Poehler about life with Barack behind closed doors.
Michelle, who met Barack back in 1988 at a Chicago law firm, didn’t hold back when discussing the nightly struggle they face: the bedroom temperature war.
“Sometimes I get in bed and I’m freezing. Other times I’m like, ‘Oh my God, take my skin off,’” she joked, referencing the age-old battle of climate control.
She says the temperature debate is real at this stage of life. “[Barack] is always cold, and I’m like, ‘Do not touch me,’” she laughed. “Sometimes I’ll wake up hot and I’ll wake him up like, ‘Did you touch the thermostat? You touched it, didn’t you?’”
