Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, were seen out and about on a date night in New York City, as rumors about their marriage continue to swirl on the internet. The sighting marks the first time the couple has been seen publicly in over six months, although it did little to quell controversy.
The couple was spotted leaving the Lowell Hotel restaurant, but they were hardly alone on their romantic evening. An entourage of Secret Service agents surrounded the Obamas as they went about their date.
Michelle, 61, was in front, leading the way back to their SUV. Decked out in a black dress and matching heels, the former first lady gave onlookers a smile.
Her husband looked a bit more solemn and contemplative, tight-lipped and highly reserved. Many have noticed the stark difference between the two. Michelle was at ease and confidently leading the way, while Barack was “quiet and unsmiling.”
Rumors of the couple heading for divorce have been rampant for some time now. Fuel was thrown on the fire when the former first lady was missing from several high-profile events this year. She was not in attendance at the presidential inauguration in January, nor at the funeral for former President Jimmy Carter.
Several months ago, in March, Michelle skipped out on their courtside seats at the NBA All-Star Game.
Along with the strange behavior and lack of public appearances of the former presidential couple, Michelle recently confessed on her podcast that she’s in therapy to help her transition into what she believes is the “next phase” of her life.
During an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast earlier in the month, Michelle tackled the rumors head-on.
”If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” Michelle stated.
According to the Daily Mail, “She dismissed speculation about marital issues, emphasizing that her decisions to skip certain high-profile events were personal choices aimed at prioritizing her own needs, rather than any indications of marital discord. During the podcast, Michelle acknowledged that marriage is ‘hard’ for her and the former president but added that ‘I wouldn’t trade it,’ calling President Obama, ‘as the young people say… my person.’”
”The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was ever really, ever going to quit at it, because that’s not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me,” she added.
Over the years since being thrust into the public eye, the former first lady has been an open book when it comes to her marital struggles. The Obamas have now been married for 32 years.
While appearing on The Jay Shetty Podcast, Michelle talked about what it’s like being an “empty nester” and made the admission about getting “some help” going into her 60s.
“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know? I’m 60 years old, I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact, I’m an empty nester, my girls are in—you know, they’ve been launched,” she explained.
Barack tried to shut down the divorce rumors himself in January when he posted a photograph for his wife’s birthday.
When she was asked about why she skipped both the funeral and inauguration, she simply stated they were decisions she made for herself.
”That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know, they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” Obama said. ”That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?”
