Michelle Obama has opened up about the emotional aftermath of her mother’s death — and the unexpected comment from Barack that left her reeling.
“You’re next up”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama, 60, is stepping into a new phase of life — but it’s not one she was in a hurry to embrace.
Speaking on her podcast with brother Craig Robinson, Michelle recalled how husband Barack Obama offered a brutally honest take after the death of her mom, Marian Robinson, in May 2023.
“Barack was saying, you know, ‘Well, you’re next up.’”
Her response?
“I’m not really ready to be next up,” she told him. “You’re next up, and Craig is next up. I delegate that power to you.”
Michelle said the moment made her realize just how much had changed.
“That’s when you become an adult”
Michelle and Craig agreed that losing both parents is a major turning point in life.
“That’s when you become the parent,” Michelle said. “You become the convener. You become the glue.”
Even while caring for her mom in later years, Michelle said she never stopped looking to her for wisdom.
“There’s comfort in that. No matter how wise or experienced I am, Mom always knew more.”
Therapy, transitions, and a new chapter
Michelle also revealed she’s currently in therapy to help navigate this new chapter of her life — as a 60-year-old empty nester no longer bound by family duties.
“I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning,” she said on the Jay Shetty Podcast.
“I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact… I don’t have the excuse of ‘my kids need this’ or ‘my husband needs that.’”
Now, she says, every choice she makes is completely hers — and that’s both freeing and unfamiliar.
“This is a whole ‘nother phase for me,” Michelle said. “So I’m getting a tune-up.”
Laughing off the rumors
Michelle also took a moment to shut down recent speculation about her marriage.
Speaking on a podcast with Steven Bartlett, She addressed online gossip that skipping Trump’s 2025 inauguration sparked rumors about trouble at home.
“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she laughed.
“I’d be problem-solving in public, like, ‘Let me tell you what he did.’”
Her brother Craig chimed in: “If they were having problems, I’d be doing a podcast with him.”
Michelle added that marriage is hard — even for her — but “I wouldn’t trade it.” She called Barack “my person.”
Pushing back against old labels
Michelle also reflected on the way she’s been portrayed in the media — especially the “angry Black woman” stereotype that followed her through the White House.
“The first label they put on us as Black women is that we are angry,” she said earlier this month.
“And the irony is — yeah. Sometimes we are.”
She said that simply sharing her truth about family and marriage was once labeled as “emasculating” — a claim she dismissed.
“There’s always more to us than the label,” she added.
“Not really ready — but still going forward”
Michelle says she’s still adjusting to life without her mother. But through therapy, honesty, and personal growth, she’s learning to carry the weight — even if she wasn’t ready for it.
“I believe in mental health support,” she said. “Everybody should find a version that works for them.”
