‘She took me back': Barack and Michelle Obama jokingly address divorce rumours
Former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle have finally sought to shut down the long-running rumours they're headed for divorce – even though they've barely been seen together in months.
The former first couple jointly addressed the speculation swirling around their three-decade marriage for the first time on Wednesday, The New York Post reports, joking on the latest episode of the ex-first lady's podcast that it was 'touch and go for a while'.
'He made time in his busy schedule. We are honoured,' Ms Obama, 61, told listeners before her co-host and brother, Craig Robinson, shot back, 'Wait, you guys like each other?'
'She took me back,' Mr Obama, 63, quickly chimed in.
'It was touch and go for a while.'
Mr Robinson went on to note it was nice to have the couple in the same room together, prompting Ms Obama to say, 'I know. Because when we aren't, folks think we're divorced.'
The Obamas had previously tried to quell speculation by posting cute photos on social media – even as they seemed to live mostly separate lives in public.
The whispers hit fever-pitch when the former first lady noticeably skipped two high-profile events earlier this year: former President Jimmy Carter's funeral and President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Barack and Michelle Obama during the Democratic National Convention last August. Picture: Michael Ngan/AFP
'There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I thought about quitting on my man,' Ms Obama said during the episode.
'And we've had some really hard times, and we've had a lot of fun times, a lot of adventures, and I have become a better person because of the man I'm married to.'
To which her husband responded: 'OK, don't make me cry now, right at the start of the show.'
'If there's one person I can always count on, it's you, Barack Obama. You're my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine's Day, honey!' Ms Obama captioned the above photo. Picture: Instagram/@michelleobama
The show of unity came despite the pair rarely being seen side-by-side in public for months.
They were last pictured stepping out for a date night at The Lowell Hotel restaurant in New York City on May 27, and cosying up for dinner at the bustling Osteria Mozza in Washington, DC in April.
Before then, the Obamas hadn't been seen together since December 14 when they were snapped leaving the Mother Wolf restaurant in Los Angeles.
They did, however, share the rare photo or two on social media to mark birthdays, holidays and anniversaries.
The couple playfully addressed the rumours on the latest episode of Ms Obama and her brother's podcast. Picture: YouTube/@imopodcasts
During the podcast, Mr Robinson acknowledged that he, too, had been dragged into the apparent marriage-woe saga, recalling one moment when a woman in Wichita, Kansas, asked him point-blank if the couple were still together.
'This woman came up to me. She was so nice. (She asked), 'Can I have a picture?',' he recalled.
'You know how you get the side hug? She was like, 'What did (Barack) do? … He did something, didn't he?'
When Mr Robinson assured the woman that the couple was still going strong, 'she was so happy, you would have thought I gave her a Christmas gift', he added.
'I have become a better person because of the man I'm married to,' Ms Obama said during the episode. Picture: Instagram/@michelleobama
Mr Obama, for his part, said he was largely unaware of the speculation.
'These are the kinds of things I just miss. I don't even know this stuff is going on and then somebody will mention it to me, and I'm like, 'What are you talking about?',' he said.
Ms Obama has repeatedly addressed the rampant speculation surrounding her marriage in a spate of podcast interviews, blaming the whispers on the couple's age and her new-found independence.
'The fact that people don't see me going out on a date with my husband sparks rumours of the end of our marriage,' she told NPR's Wild Card podcast host Rachel Martin in one interview.
'It's like, 'OK, so we don't Instagram every minute of our lives. We are 60. We're 60, y'all'.'
This article was originally published on The New York Post and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as 'She took me back': Barack and Michelle Obama jokingly address divorce rumours
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