Michelle Obama made a surprising admission on her “IMO” podcast July 9.
The former first lady, more outspoken than ever in recent months, took to her hit show to discuss her friendships and this season of change in her life.
“This stage in life for me,” Obama said during the episode, “is the first time that I have been completely free.”
Obama cohosts “IMO” with brother Craig Robinson (no relation to the actor/comedian), and in the candid episode she explained that she is at a point “where every choice that I make in my life is not about my husband (former President Barack Obama), not about his career, not about what my kids need or where they’re going — it’s totally about me.”
The episode’s guest Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) responded that this stage of Obama’s life must be “a real release.”
Michelle Obama reveals daughter Malia Obama’s name change
The Obamas shared two daughters, 26-year-old filmmaker Malia Ann − who recently changed her professional name − and University of Southern California alum Sasha Obama, 24.
During an April episode of her podcast, Obama addressed her choice to skip President Donald Trump’s second inauguration ceremony.
“My decision to skip the inauguration – or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me – were met with such ridicule and criticism,” Obama explained. “People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason. They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart.”
That same month, she previously dismissed rumors that she and the former president are headed toward divorce.
While speaking on the “Work in Progress” podcast with “One Tree Hill” star Sophia Bush, Obama discussed having the freedom to pursue and decline different opportunities since leaving the White House. She said whenever she makes “a choice for myself,” people are quick to assume her marriage is over.
“We as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people,” she told Bush. “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. That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself. But that’s what that’s what society does to us.”
Contributing: Anthony Robledo
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michelle Obama: I’m ‘free’ to make choices that aren’t about Barack
