00:00Michelle Obama has finally addressed those nagging divorce rumors that really circulated after she missed Jimmy Carter's funeral, missed the inauguration of Donald Trump.
00:14You can understand the latter, the former, a little more mysterious.
00:17And then, but there was more than that also, that there were several times that the president was seen out at dinner by himself.
00:24And sometimes with the two daughters, but not Michelle.
00:26So the daughters, not with Michelle. And so the rumors have been nagging.
00:30She finally addressed it on Sophia Bush's podcast and says that their marriage is OK, but she has made some very personal decisions and she doesn't care what you think.
00:45I get to look at my calendar, which I did this year.
00:49It was a real big example of me, myself, looking at something that I was supposed to do.
00:56You know, without naming names. And I chose to do what was best for me.
01:03The interesting thing is that when I say no, for the most part, people are like, I get it and I'm OK.
01:10Right. And that's the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with like disappointing people.
01:16Yeah. You know, I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know, they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.
01:27You know, this couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself.
01:35Right. Right. But that's what that's what society does to us.
01:40So there are two issues here. One is what she said about women.
01:44And the second is what she said specifically about herself on the specifically about herself part.
01:50I get it because I've read a lot of books on Michelle and Barack Obama.
01:55And she talks about, you know, how she hated politics.
01:58She did not like being in the White House when when Barack was in that in the state legislature in Illinois.
02:07Really tough for her. But she did a lot of stuff that she didn't want to do.
02:11And I kind of hear that. I kind of hear that.
02:14I understand that completely when it comes to Trump's inauguration.
02:17I can answer what you're going to say.
02:18I didn't expect. But I can answer.
02:20I can answer. I can answer. I can answer.
02:23Different. I can answer it.
02:24But do you remember and I it was George Bush Sr.'s funeral when Donald Trump was there with Michelle and Barack Obama.
02:34She would not look at him. Right.
02:36The birth the birthright citizenship.
02:39I was it for her. I understand.
02:41And I don't think she wanted to be around Trump.
02:43I really because that's what she's talking about.
02:45What things I don't want to do. I believe that I think it was Trump.
02:48I want to go. And I think it was Trump.
02:49I even said to you at the time, because they sat them all in succession, she knew that they were going to end up sitting next to Trump.
02:57Right.
02:58And I guess that's what she couldn't.
02:59She didn't want to do it.
03:00But I don't know.
03:01Like, I think that's what it is.
03:03When I really heard it this time, that's what I heard.
03:07That I'm going to make my own decisions.
03:09I do not want to sit next to this guy.
03:10And I know what she's saying about making decisions for yourself.
03:13I disagree with her that that's something that only women struggle with.
03:17Well, that's the second part.
03:18Men struggle with that also.
03:19That's the second part.
03:21And do things that they don't want to.
03:22But if you are a former first lady, who am I to say that you have this duty?
03:29But that's what she's saying.
03:30She's saying, I'm not going to deal with the duty anymore.
03:33I'm going to deal with what is good for me.
03:36That's what she's saying.
03:37That's what she's saying, I guess.
03:39I was a little disappointed with her saying, like, the female card, right?
03:44Because I don't think a lot of the speculation about their possible divorce
03:48had anything to do with her being a woman and getting criticized more
03:52because she's a woman.
03:53Had nothing to do with that.
03:55It simply had to do with her being absent at really big events,
03:59the ones that you guys mentioned.
04:00But also, a month ago, we even got some videos and photos of Barack
04:05out with his daughters in LA at a Thai restaurant.
04:08And she wasn't there.
04:09So it was certain things like that stepping out in public
04:12where she was not being seen for a while.
04:14And it was like, where's Michelle?
04:16Where's Michelle?
04:17I think I can see why maybe she wouldn't go to some of the big public events
04:22like, you know, Jimmy Carter's funeral and stuff.
04:25Because here she wants her own life back.
04:27Like you mentioned, Harvey, she's never been a fan of politics.
04:29I can see her wanting to step away, have some time for herself.
04:32But to say, like, people are only criticizing her and bringing up divorce rumors
04:37only because she's a woman is not fair.
04:40She meant that women feel like they have to do certain things.
04:45But stepping out for Thai food with your children and your husband?
04:48But you also don't have to go to...
04:50Yeah, I mean, the only problem I have with that is, look, women, you can't put any group
04:55in one box and say, women are this way, you know, a certain race is this way, you know,
05:00a certain sexual orientation is this way.
05:03People are different.
05:04And look, she is...
05:06What I know about her is she's brilliant and an incredibly strong person with a real belief,
05:15a belief, a worldview that she applies.
05:20And she's had to eat crow all these years.
05:24I ate crow when I had to because we were in the White House.
05:29And now I don't.
05:29Now I don't have to.
05:30And now I'm going to...
05:31I just don't think...
05:32To say all women have this thing about disappointing other people, it's like...
05:38I think that's a society thing.
05:39I mean, no, no, it is a societal thing where it's like, oh, the woman should be there for
05:44the man.
05:45You know, the woman should be by the man's side, which, by the way, she has done.
05:48Is that still around?
05:49That's not what I meant.
05:50I meant that in society, we are all male or female, whatever.
05:54We're all expected to do certain things because you are part of the social contract, right?
06:01We do stuff we don't want to do.
06:02You sometimes...
06:03All the time.
06:04Sometimes you come to our holiday party.
06:06You don't really want to go and you try to avoid it, but you come because you have to.
06:11We just had a really brutal morning meeting today.
06:14And I'm kind of sick of this.
06:15So lay off, okay?
06:17Hey, it's Taylor from St. Louis and Michelle Obama is loved by all of us.
06:22She will forever be the honorary first lady in the eyes of all of us.
06:25But the reality is Michelle has fulfilled her duties and I'm not mad at her at all for saying
06:30she wants to do things for her.
06:32I think we are like that ex that she can't get rid of.
06:35And we have to learn to respect her privacy and allow her to live as much of a human life
06:40or normal life, excuse me, that she possibly can.
06:43I mean, I think we have to call a spade a spade at this point and say it's the end of
06:46an era.
06:47We won't get Michelle Obama the way that we've had her in the past.
