{"id":24068,"date":"2025-03-14T20:20:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T20:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=24068"},"modified":"2025-03-14T20:20:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T20:20:33","slug":"michelle-obama-admits-that-living-with-rumors-about-her-family-since-husband-barack-obama-ran-for-president-in-2008-hasnt-always-been-easy-but-they-have-found-a-wa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=24068","title":{"rendered":"Michelle Obama admits that living with \u201crumors\u201d about her family since husband Barack Obama ran for president in 2008 hasn\u2019t always been easy \u2014 but they have found a way to get past the “negative energy.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The former first lady explained how her family fends off “negative energy” while taping a live episode of her new podcast with brother Craig Robinson at SXSW<\/p>\n

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Michelle Obama<\/a>\u00a0admits that living with \u201crumors\u201d about her family since husband\u00a0Barack Obama<\/a>\u00a0ran for president in 2008 hasn\u2019t always been easy \u2014 but they have found a way to get past the “negative energy.”<\/p>\n

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The former first lady and her older brother, Craig Robinson, made an appearance at SXSW on Thursday, March 13, for a live taping of their new podcast,\u00a0IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The brother-sister pair are early in their podcast team-up \u2014 their first episode was released on Wednesday, March 12 \u2014 but they showed off the dynamic of their new show, which features the duo exploring life\u2019s everyday questions in conversation with each other, famous friends and knowledgeable guests.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith everything going on in the world, we\u2019re all looking for answers and people to turn to,\u201d Obama said while announcing the show. \u201cMy brother Craig and I launched the IMO podcast to create a space for people to come as they are, ask honest questions, give their opinions, and have thoughtful conversations about life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Craig Robinson and Michelle Obama take the stage at SXSW on March 13, 2025.<\/span>Julia Beverly\/WireImage<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of the conversations that Obama, 61, and Robinson, 62, had with the SXSW crowd involved how they stay positive when current events feel isolating and negativity enters the room.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don’t think Craig and I are feeling any different than anyone out there,\u201d Obama shared. \u201cWe’re dealing with a lot of uncertainties. I, for one, feel for folks who are struggling and will continue to struggle in these uncertainties.”<\/p>\n

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\u201cI worry about folks being out of work. I worry about how we think about diversity and inclusion. I think about how we treat one another and the voices that we hear and what that does, what models that that’s setting for the next generation. Who do we want to be as a country?\u201d she continued. \u201cAll of that keeps me up at night\u2026 But I find, in those moments, that it is better not to try to figure that stuff out alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

“For me and Craig and our families, you know, we always try to step outside of our loneliness and talk as a family and as a community to share those concerns,” she said, adding that she hopes their podcast listeners take the same approach.<\/p>\n

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Barack and Michelle Obama at the US Open in New York City on Aug. 28, 2023.<\/span>Jean Catuffe\/GC Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After eight years in the White House and several more in the spotlight since, Obama has plenty of experience tuning out bad energy. She told the SXSW audience one of her top strategies for not letting dark times take over.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPeople always ask me and Barack, how did we stay hopeful in, not just the eight years that we were in the White House, but beyond?\u201d the former first lady shared. \u201cBecause, let me tell you, there was a lot of negative energy flipping our way \u2014 a lot of rumors, a lot of gossip, a lot of, you know, my husband wasn’t born in this country … we weren’t patriotic, he didn’t get into Harvard.”<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut through it all, what kept us sane \u2014 and we tried to instill this in our daughters \u2014 is, you cannot live through social media,\u201d she explained. \u201cI don’t think I have ever once looked at a comment section, period.\u201d<\/p>\n

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President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) pose for a family portrait in the Rose Garden of the White House on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015.<\/span>Pete Souza\/The White House via Getty<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Obama noted the generational differences between herself and young people today who have grown up with social media, but she still \u201cimplored\u201d everyone to keep a healthy distance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDon’t let that negative energy enter into your space. These are people who don’t know you. A lot of this stuff is made up, and it does not feed you,\u201d she shared. \u201cThat doesn’t mean you don’t stay informed, but staying informed has nothing to do with the comment section. It has everything to do with the content of the stories that you take in.”<\/p>\n

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She continued: \u201cI think we cannot get so trapped by social media that we feel so caught up into the one way we get information. We’ve got to broaden our spectrum, and we have to get off the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson tape ‘IMO Live’ in Austin, Texas, on March 13, 2025.<\/span>Hubert Vestil<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to sharing their experience and learning from each other, Obama and Robinson explained,\u00a0IMO<\/em>\u00a0is also an important step in their journey as siblings.<\/p>\n

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“This last year was pretty\u2026 I won’t say completely rough, but we lost our mom this year,\u201d Obama noted. \u201cOur parents were some amazing people, and I think as a result of that loss, Craig and I… It brought us even closer together. We were already close, but there is just something about losing what was our last parent.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The siblings\u2019 mother, Marian Robinson,\u00a0died on May 31, 2024<\/a>, at the age of 86.<\/p>\n

“You think you’re going to be ready for it as an adult,\u201d Obama admitted. \u201cBut I think part of losing Mom, it kind of puts us in the position \u2014 we’re the wise ones in the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

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“Hard to believe,” Robinson added.<\/p>\n

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Michelle Obama (L) and her mother, Marian Robinson, at the final day of the Democratic National Convention on September 6, 2012.<\/span>ROBYN BECK\/AFP\/Getty<\/p>\n

\u201cEven at this age, it’s a little daunting to think that now we kind of have to step up in our family and be that wisdom,\u201d Obama said. \u201cWe’re always doing it at home with our families and answering questions. So we’re going to be doing that with our listeners.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe need each other, and we need to step out of our loneliness and start talking to each other,\u201d she added of the relationships she hopes to foster with the new venture.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHopefully this podcast will spark some conversation, but more importantly, I hope it leads people to seek out their own communities of trust and conversation, so we’re not sitting alone in these feelings. That’s my hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

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IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever podcasts are available.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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