WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 07: Former First Lady Michelle Obama and former U.S. President Barack Obama embrace at a ceremony to unveil their official White House portraits at the White House on September 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Obama’s portraits will be the first official portraits added to the White House Collection since President Obama held an unveiling ceremony for George W. Bush and Laura Bush in 2012. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In December, during an iconic roundtable of powerhouse women hosted by Angie Martinez, Michelle Obama admitted that she “couldn’t stand” Barack Obama for about 10 years. The comments launched a series of debates on marriage and commitment. Now, in an exclusive interview with “CBS Mornings,” the former president highlighted how he got back into the First Lady’s ‘good graces.’
“Let me just say this, it sure helps to be out of the White House and to have a little more time with her,” Obama said.
He explained how he was unappreciative of Michelle’s commitment to Malia and Sasha when they were growing up, calling them her “priority one, two, three, and four.”
“I did not fully appreciate, I think, how engaged as a father I was–the degree of stress and tension for her knowing that–not just me and Michelle were under scrutiny and in this strange environment–but that we were raising our daughters in a kind of situation that just wasn’t normal.”
As mentioned, Michelle first mentioned the 10-year dislike while speaking with Angie, Tina Lawson, Kelly Rowland, Winnie Harlow, and H.E.R. She revealed that it occurred when the girls were younger, and they were on the come up.
“And for 10 years while we’re trying to build our career and, you know, worrying about school and who’s doing what and what, I was like, ‘Ugh this isn’t even. And guess what? Marriage isn’t 50/50 ever, ever,” Michelle said.
Obama later added that she would take “10 bad years over 30,” which they celebrated in October. Barack and Michelle first met in 1989 and married in 1992.
These days Mama Michelle can stand to hang back a little. Their daughters are grown and, from the outside looking in, thriving. Malia graduated from Harvard University with a Visual and Environmental Studies degree and hopes to be a filmmaker. According to IMDb, her latest credits come as a staff writer on seven episodes of Donald Glover and Janine Nabers’ “Swarm.”
Meanwhile, Sasha Obama went viral last weekend for her graduation photos, which also included cameos from the Forever First Family.
With their daughters stepping gracefully into adulthood, it has freed time for the Obamas to reconnect.
“Now that they’re doing good, she is a little more forgiving of all my flaws. What she’s told me is, you know, looking back you did okay as a dad, and if I pass that test, then she’ll forgive me most of my other foibles,” Barack said.
In April, the couple was spotted perusing the Spain streets.
