How Michelle Obama Feels About Daughter Malia’s Name Change originally appeared on Parade.
Michelle Obama has a simple response when it comes to her daughter Malia’s decision to drop the family name professionally: “They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia.”
In a conversation on the Sibling Revelry podcast on Monday, June 2, Michelle opened up about watching her daughters, Maliaand Sasha, make their way through adulthood in the public eye—particularly surrounding the challenges of living with a last name that comes with global recognition.
Michelle, 61, reflected on the “push away” phase, a time during her daughters’ teenage years when they wanted to distance themselves from the public expectations that came with being part of the Obama family. Malia’s decision to professionally use only her first and middle names—Malia Ann—when she premiered a short film at Sundance last year was part of this.
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“You’re trying to distinguish yourself,” Michelle explained, adding that it’s crucial for her children, whom she shares with husband and former president Barack Obama, to feel like they’ve earned their place in the world. “It’s very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world.”
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Despite her daughter’s attempt to separate herself from the Obama name, Michelle reminded listeners with a laugh that Malia’s identity is still recognizable to the world. “They want to be their own people,” Michelle continued, acknowledging how sensitive her daughters are to the idea that their hard work might be overlooked because of their last name. “They don’t want people to assume they don’t work hard. They want to be their own people.”
The girls are already making their mark in the world. Malia, 26, has an impressive career so far, including writing for Donald Glover’s Amazon Prime series Swarm and directing a Nike commercial. Sasha, 23, is still in school pursuing higher education after graduating from USC in 2023.
How Michelle Obama Feels About Daughter Malia’s Name Change first appeared on Parade on Jun 5, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
