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Michelle Obama breaks silence: ‘I choose my own agenda, I’m not getting divorced’

Former first lady explains absence from official events alongside husband: ‘I am an independent woman, not a wife in crisis’

Michelle Obama has decided to speak out. For the first time, the former first lady of the United States has publicly addressed the rumours that have been circulating for months about her alleged marital crisis with Barack Obama. In an interview with actress Sophia Bush for the Work in Progress podcast, Michelle denied the rumours, claiming the freedom to lead her life according to her own choices.

‘Only now, eight years after leaving the White House, have I decided to be the master of my own agenda,’ she explained. A decision that many interpreted as a sign of tensions with the former president, given her absence at public events such as Donald Trump’s inauguration or Jimmy Carter’s funeral. ‘Whenever a woman is independent, people think she’s getting a divorce,’ she commented bitterly.

Michelle admitted that she has been postponing this step for years, even hiding behind family needs. ‘Perhaps by allowing my daughters to live their own lives, I used their lives as an excuse not to make certain choices.’ Today, Malia and Sasha are 26 and 23 respectively, and this has opened up a new personal space for the former first lady: ‘Now this is over. I can control my schedule, and this year I did, choosing what was best for me, not what others expected’.

A freedom regained, but not without effort. ‘It wasn’t easy: as women we always feel guilty and don’t want to disappoint anyone. But no one thought I was simply making my own decisions. The only interpretation was: ‘They are getting divorced’.’

Michelle and Barack Obama have been married for 32 years. A solid union, she implied, that does not need constant public appearances to be confirmed.

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