Former First Lady Michelle Obama has shared that she's currently in therapy as a way to "tune up" and prepare for the next phase of her life — while also continuing to quash rumors of a possible divorce with her husband, Barack Obama. Michelle lately has been appearing on various podcasts to promote her own show, co-hosted with her brother Craig Robinson.
In these interviews, she's made it a point to shut down rumors suggesting she and the former President are heading for a divorce. On the Jay Shetty Podcast, Michelle opened up about life as an "empty nester" and admitted that she's receiving "some help" as she approaches her 60s.
Michelle Not Well
"At this phase of my life, I'm in therapy right now because I'm transitioning, you know?" the mom-of-two said on the Jay Shetty Podcast. "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."
Michelle shared that she now has "other voices" to confide in and a "new person that is getting to know me", as she adjusts to life beyond her role in public service.
"I now don't have the excuse of, 'Well, my kids need this' or 'My husband needs that' or 'The country needs that.;
"So, I'm getting that tune-up for this next phase because I believe this is a whole 'nother phase in life for me. And I now have the wisdom to know—let me go get some coaching while I'm doing it," she said.
Michelle urged anyone in need of mental health support to seek out and connect with a therapist if possible. "I am an advocate of it. Everybody needs to find their form of it, the best way they can," she said.
Proving a Point
Michelle has lately been appearing in several media interviews alongside her brother Craig Robinson, frequently confronting widespread rumors that her 30-year marriage is in trouble.
Speculation about a possible split has chasing the Obamas, especially after Michelle was noticeably absent from several major events earlier this year — including President Donald Trump's inauguration.
"If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it," she told entrepreneur Steven Bartlett in an interview last week.
"I would be problem-solving in public, like, 'Let me tell you what he did'."
She admitted that marriage can be "hard" for them but added that she "wouldn't trade it." "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 said.
