Latest news with #MaliaAnn
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Michelle Obama gets real on parenting: 'I'm so glad I didn't have a boy'
Michelle Obama says she's "so glad" she didn't have a boy with former President Barack Obama. On a Wednesday, June 18 episode of her "IMO" podcast, she told Craig Robinson, her brother and co-host, and radio icon Angie Martinez that "I'm so glad I didn't have a boy" while discussing the difficulties of raising boys. The Obamas share two daughters: 26-year-old filmmaker Malia Ann and University of Southern California alum Sasha Obama, who recently turned 24. Martinez suggested that Obama and her "A Promised Land" author husband "should've thrown a boy in the mix." But Obama said she's "glad" because "he would've been a Barack Obama!" jokingly shading the former president's strong personality and suggesting that a son would have been challenging. Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé in these 10 bingeable memoirs When Martinez said that a "baby Barack" would have been "amazing," the forthcoming "Look" book author explained to the "IRL" podcast host that she "would've felt for him." Robinson — a father of one daughter Leslie and three sons Avery, Austin and Aaron — added to the conversation by quipping that his sister "borrowed our boys." Michelle Obama previously broke silence on daughter's name change Earlier this month, Obama made headlines when she broke her silence on eldest daughter Malia Ann's decision to drop her last name. Malia Ann, who is pursuing a film career in Hollywood, used her middle name as her artistic name for the credits of 2023 short film "The Heart" which she wrote and directed, that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. "Our daughters (Malia and Sasha) are 25 and 23. They are young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away. … They're still doing that," Obama told famous siblings Oliver and Kate Hudson on their "Sibling Revelry" podcast. The "Becoming" author added that "it is very important for my kids to feel like they've earned what they are getting in the world, and they don't want people to assume that they don't work hard, that they're just naturally, just handed things. They're very sensitive to that – they want to be their own people."
Elle
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Michelle Obama Reacts to Malia's Decision to Drop Her Last Name
If you've been wondering why Malia Obama now professionally goes by 'Malia Ann,' Michelle Obama recently opened up about her decision. On Monday, the former first lady appeared on an episode of Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson. During a conversation about parenting, Obama shared that there was a period when Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, went through the 'push away' phase when they were teenagers. 'I mean, they're still doing that,' she said. As the children of famous parents, Malia and Sasha want to 'distinguish' themselves and chart their own paths, which she understands. 'It's very important for my kids to feel like they've earned what they are getting in the world,' she continued. 'They don't want people to assume that they don't work hard and that they're naturally just handed things. They're very sensitive to that. They want to be their own people.' She went on to speak about Malia's latest venture as a filmmaker. Last January, she premiered her debut short film The Heart at the Sundance Film Festival. In the credits, her name is listed as 'Malia Ann' and doesn't include her last name. 'We were like, 'They're still going to know it's you, Malia,' Obama quipped. 'But we respected the fact that she's trying to make her way.' The Becoming author also now feels like her daughters understand her parenting style a lot more now that they're older. 'They have a clearer understanding of why we did a lot of what we did,' she said. 'They understand us as full human beings now, in the same way that I think I discovered that about my parents when I went away to college. I think our kids are moving into that.' You can listen to the full podcast episode here.
