Michelle Obama admitted she “couldn’t stand” her husband, Barack Obama, for the first 10 years of their marriage because they were carrying uneven loads.
The former first lady candidly discussed the early years of the couple’s union, during which they were raising two young daughters, explaining that she was doing the heavy lifting while the eventual president was often absent.
“People think I’m being catty saying this. It’s like, there were 10 years where I couldn’t stand my husband,” Michelle said during a recent Revolt TV panel, which also included H.E.R., Winnie Harlow, Kelly Rowland and Tina Knowles.
“And guess when it happened? When those kids were little.”
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Michelle, 58, said she began to turn her “ire” on Barack, 61, when he would find time to golf or travel for work while she tried to balance being a mother and a lawyer.
“And for 10 years, while we’re trying to build our careers and, you know, worrying about school and who’s doing what and what, I was like, ‘Ugh, this isn’t even,’” she recalled.
“And guess what? Marriage isn’t 50/50 — ever. There’s sometimes I’m 70, he’s 30, but guess what? We’ve been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30.”
The “Light We Carry” author and the 44th POTUS married in October 1992. They share two daughters, 24-year-old Malia and 21-year-old Sasha, both of whom lived in the White House during their father’s presidency.
Michelle revealed in November that the sisters currently share a house in Los Angeles, where Malia has been working in TV while Sasha attends the University of Southern California.
Sasha is dating Clifton Powell Jr., a basketball player-turned-director and son of “Ray” actor Clifton Powell. Malia, meanwhile, has been linked to record producer Dawit Eklund.