Former First Lady Michelle Obama revealed during a recent podcast episode that she feels relieved she and former President Barack Obama never had a son, expressing concern about the pressures such a child would have faced growing up with his father’s prominent name and personality.
Obama made the comments during the Wednesday, June 18 episode of her “IMO” podcast, which she co-hosts with her brother Craig Robinson. The discussion arose while the siblings were speaking with Hot 97 radio personality Angie Martinez about the challenges of raising boys in today’s society.
When Martinez suggested that Obama should have included a boy among her children, the former First Lady responded with candor about her hypothetical son’s potential burden. Obama stated, “I’m so glad I didn’t have a boy,” before explaining that such a child would have carried the weight of his father’s legacy and likely been named Barack Obama III.
The 61-year-old author elaborated that she would have felt sympathy for a hypothetical son, suggesting the challenges he would face living up to his father’s accomplishments and dealing with public expectations. Martinez responded enthusiastically that a “baby Barack” would have been amazing, but Obama maintained her position that she would have worried about such a child’s wellbeing.
Robinson, who serves as executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, added humor to the conversation by noting that his sister had essentially “borrowed” his boys over the years. Robinson is father to four children from his two marriages: daughter Leslie and son Avery from his first marriage, and sons Austin and Aaron from his second marriage.
The conversation occurred within a broader discussion about parenting strategies for raising boys. Obama emphasized the importance of preparing young men for real-world challenges while teaching them essential life skills. She indicated that mothers should love their sons while also raising them to be strong, teaching them everything from handling difficult situations like traffic stops to becoming effective communicators in marriages and compassionate community members.
Obama stressed the need for parents to prepare their sons for inevitable hardships and disappointments, warning against overprotective parenting that might leave young men unprepared for adult challenges. She advised mothers to avoid monitoring their sons’ friendships excessively or trying to make life too easy during their formative years.
The former First Lady and Barack Obama have been married since October 1992 and are parents to two daughters: Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24. Both daughters spent their formative years in the public eye during their father’s presidency from 2009 to 2017, but have maintained relatively private lives as young adults.
Obama recently addressed her older daughter Malia’s decision to use only her first and middle names professionally, dropping the Obama surname for her film career. The filmmaker was credited as “Malia Ann” rather than “Malia Obama” for her 2024 short film “The Heart,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Obama explained during a June appearance on the “Sibling Revelry” podcast that while the family recognized people would still know Malia’s identity, they respected her desire to establish her own professional path.
The former First Lady described this behavior as typical of children from famous families who seek to distinguish themselves and prove their worth through their own efforts. She noted that both daughters went through periods of pushing away from their parents during their teenage years and continue to assert their independence as young adults.
Obama’s podcast comments come amid ongoing speculation about her marriage to the former President. The couple has faced divorce rumors in recent months, particularly after Obama’s absence from several high-profile events including former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. However, Obama has directly addressed these rumors, explaining that her decisions to skip certain events were personal choices made for her own wellbeing rather than indicators of marital problems.
Despite the playful criticism of her husband’s personality during the podcast, Obama praised Barack’s parenting abilities during a June 11 episode of “IMO” featuring musician Bruce Springsteen. She described the former President as a tremendous father who successfully navigated the unique challenges of raising children in the public spotlight.
The Obama family recently celebrated Sasha’s 24th birthday in June, with both parents sharing identical family photos on social media showing the family of four together in summer attire. Obama expressed pride in watching both daughters develop into independent young women who make their own choices and call their parents for advice after working through challenges themselves.
