Michelle Obama recently shared how she and former President Barack Obama reacted when their daughter Malia decided to stop using the family name in her professional work.
Speaking on the Sibling Revelry podcast with Kate and Oliver Hudson on June 3, Michelle revealed that while it was a surprise at first, they quickly understood Malia’s desire for independence—especially after growing up in the intense spotlight of the White House for eight years.
“Malia, who started out in film, took her last name off her very first project,” Michelle explained. “And we were like, ‘They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia.’ But we respect that she’s trying to make her own way.”
Malia first made the change public in February 2024, when she was credited simply as Malia Ann during the premiere of her film The Heart at Sundance’s “Meet the Artist” spotlight.
Michelle and Barack, who also share daughter Sasha, 23, understand the natural urge of their children to “push away” and carve out their own identities.
“Our daughters are 26 and 23. They definitely went through a phase in their teenage years where they pushed away,” Michelle said. “They’re still doing that to some extent. It’s about distinguishing themselves. It’s important for my kids to feel they’ve earned what they get in the world. They don’t want people assuming they didn’t work hard or that things were just handed to them. They’re very sensitive to that.”
Reflecting on parenting through the unique challenges of raising children in the White House, Michelle said her daughters now appreciate the choices she and Barack made.
“Now that they’re older, they’re embracing our parenting principles,” she said. “They understand why we did a lot of what we did. They see us as full human beings now, just like I did with my own parents when I went to college.”
“Our daughters didn’t want to be ‘little princesses’ in the White House,” Michelle added. “They wanted to push boundaries. They needed some freedom. They wanted to be out in the world. And honestly, I knew under the circumstances they needed more rope than I could have given them if I was my mother.”
