Michelle Obama recently shared her thoughts on why young couples may be divorcing more often and opened up about her own marriage with former President Barack Obama. The former first lady appeared on "CBS Mornings" to discuss her new podcast, "Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast," and her upcoming Netflix special with Oprah Winfrey, "The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey."
During the conversation with Gayle King, they touched on the topic of marriage, and King brought up a comment Obama made during a Revolt special last year, where she mentioned she "couldn't stand" her husband for a decade of their 30-year marriage. Obama clarified her statement, explaining that she said it because "marriage is hard, and a lot of young people quit on marriage over things that are just a part of the commitment."
The former first lady observed that young couples often "glamorize marriage" by focusing on the dresses, proposals, and honeymoons, but they aren't prepared for the reality of marriage. She stressed the significance of people in successful marriages, like herself, being "honest about the fact that making a commitment to be with someone means you compromise, and compromise ain't always fun."
In her "Cross-Generational Conversation" special last year, Obama revealed that she felt an imbalance in her marriage while raising their daughters, Sasha and Malia, and as Barack pursued his political career. She said, "Marriage isn't 50/50 - ever, ever," and highlighted that sometimes the balance might be 70/30 or 60/40.
Michelle and Barack Obama got married in 1992 after dating for two years. They met at a Chicago law firm, where she was an associate tasked with advising Barack, who was a summer associate at the time.
Michelle Obama is now preparing for the release of her Netflix special with Oprah Winfrey, which was recorded during the final stop of her 2022 tour for her best-selling book, "The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times." The 80-minute special, directed by Linda Mendoza, is set to air on Tuesday.
