Michelle Obama confesses one thing husband Barack dislikes that she does with daughters Malia and Sasha anyway


The former First Lady also recently addressed reports of a divorce from her husband


Barack and Michelle Obama with daughters Malia and Sasha
Ahad SanwariSenior Writer - New York
April 10, 2025
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Michelle Obama and her husband Barack Obama don't always agree on everything, and one way that manifests more than others: television.

The former First Lady, 61, and the 44th POTUS, 63, have been married for over three decades, tying the knot in 1992 and since welcoming daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23.

During an appearance on Sophia Bush's podcast Work in Progress, she explained that during family downtime, the Obamas enjoy nothing more than a good bit of TV. Watch Michelle recollect more family fun time in the video below...

WATCH: Michelle Obama on family's disrupted plans

TV time with the Obamas

And oftentimes, for Michelle, that'll involve some content to turn her brain off to — aka, reality TV. "When I go to TV, I just want to turn off," she told the actress.

"I am a Real Housewives person. I love the dating shows, you know. I don't agree with them all, but I love to watch," she added, even quipping that her daughters will "have me watching" Love Island

Despite not being an abject fan herself, she couldn't help but cherish the experience of being with Malia and Sasha through it, gushing: "I watched that only with them because I'm as amused at their feedback and their commentary as I am with what's going on."

© Handout
As for Michelle, Malia and Sasha, reality TV is often on the cards

Barack's own take

As for Barack? It turns out the former President is a lot more serious with his TV choices, and not always to his wife and daughters' liking. "Barack and I, we sometimes argue over what can we watch jointly because he likes death and darkness."

 "I said, 'You know, you like the plots where everybody's sad and then they die,'" she quipped. The Becoming author, on the other hand, is always down for a good sitcom instead.

"I love Shrinking, my favorite with Harrison Ford," she confessed. "That whole cast is amazing. I love that showrunner [Bill Lawrence]. I'm a Ted Lasso fan too."

© Getty Images
When it comes to TV, Michelle and Barack aren't always on the same page

Addressing the "divorce"

Also on the podcast, she finally addressed recent reports that were swirling of her and Barack separating following her decision to abstain from attending either the funeral of Jimmy Carter or the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

"That's the thing that we as women struggle with — disappointing people," she noted of the double standards she saw concerning her freedom since leaving the White House. "I mean, so much so that this year people couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself. That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing."

© ITV
"I watched [Love Island] only with them because I'm as amused at their feedback and their commentary as I am with what's going on."

"This couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself, right? But that's what society does to us," the mom-of-two continued.

Michelle further spoke about the expectations labeled on her since her tenure in the nation's capital came to an end. "We start actually going, what am I? What am I doing? What 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."

© Instagram
"Barack and I, we sometimes argue over what can we watch jointly because he likes death and darkness."

"It is whatever I want, Sophia, it's whatever I want," Michelle said of her life and social life now. "It's the first time in my life all of my choices are for me."

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