Michelle Obama Sends Clear Signal To Barack Amid Divorce Speculation

Michelle Obama has officially shut down the ongoing divorce rumors by making it clear she’s been busy making her own thoughtful decisions.

The former First Lady has finally addressed all the speculation that’s been building around her marriage to Barack Obama, opening up for the first time about what’s really been going on.

Michelle, who married the former Democratic President back in 1992, has been noticeably absent from a few big public events. These included President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter. Her absence broke with tradition and stirred up even more gossip.

But now, the 61-year-old lawyer has decided to clear the air. She took to Instagram on Sunday (June 15) to share a heartfelt throwback photo of herself, Barack, and their daughters.

In the post, Michelle expressed how her husband has always shown up for their family and shared a touching Father’s Day tribute in his honor.

She penned: "I love looking back at photos like this of when our girls were younger."

Michelle Obama has put the rumors to bed once and for all Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

"@BarackObama has always been there for us no matter what — even when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. We've always been so grateful."

"To Barack and all the dads and father-figures celebrating today, Happy Father's Day!"

Last October, the Obamas also marked a huge personal milestone—celebrating 32 years of marriage together, a moment that meant a lot to both of them.

The sweet post follows earlier moments where the Becoming author spoke up directly against divorce talk during podcast interviews. Last month, on The Diary of a CEO, she made it clear that if something like that were happening, she wouldn’t be quiet about it.

"If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it." she told host Steven Bartlett, and followed up with: "I would be problem solving in public. I'm not a martyr."

She also explained on her own podcast that skipping Trump’s inauguration was a personal choice. But that didn’t stop people from judging her, and she admitted it came with a wave of ‘ridicule and criticism.’

"People couldn't believe that I was saying no for any other reason. They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart." she declared on her IMO podcast.

Barack Obama attended Trump's inauguration on his own Melina Mara - Pool/Getty Images

In another candid chat on Sophia Bush’s podcast, Work in Progress, Michelle talked about how she’s been focusing more on herself lately and taking time to reset.

She admitted feeling a bit guilty about pulling back from certain public roles but explained it honestly, adding: "That's the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with like disappointing people."

"I mean, so much so that this year people couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing."

"This couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right? But that's what society does to us."

To give more context, she added: "I chose to do what was best for me. Not what I had to do. Not what I thought other people wanted me to do."

While people may have noticed she’s taken a bit of a step back in recent months, Michelle hasn’t disappeared. Last summer, she gave a strong and inspiring speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), urging her hometown of Chicago to rally behind Kamala Harris during the presidential campaign.

The couple celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary in October Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"Hope is making a comeback." she said to the crowd at the time.

And despite keeping a slightly lower profile, she made it clear on her podcast that she’s not done yet.

Michelle said she’s staying active on the issues that matter most to her and continuing projects she’s passionate about, adding: "I still care about girls' education."