Michelle Obama has spoken candidly about how she and former President Barack Obama reacted when their daughter, Malia, decided to stop using the “Obama” surname professionally.
During an appearance on the Sibling Revelry podcast hosted by Kate and Oliver Hudson on June 3, Michelle shared that Malia, who is pursuing a career in film, informed her parents of her decision early on.
“Malia, who started in film, I mean her first project, she took off her last name,” Michelle recalled. “And we’re like, ‘They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia.’ But we respect that she’s trying to make her way.”
The name change first caught public attention in February 2024 during the premiere of Malia’s film project, The Heart. In the credits and a Sundance Institute “Meet the Artist” spotlight video, she was listed as Malia Ann, using her middle name rather than her last.
Michelle explained that she and Barack understand their daughters’ desire to carve out their own identities, noting that both Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, went through a typical period of “pushing away” during their teenage years.
“They’re still doing that,” Michelle said. “You’re trying to distinguish yourself. It’s important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world. And they don’t want people to assume they don’t work hard, that they’re just naturally handed things. They’re very sensitive to that.”
Reflecting on their upbringing, Michelle shared how she adapted her parenting style to help her daughters grow up as normally as possible while living in the White House.
“Now that they’re older, they are embracing our parenting principles,” she noted. “They have a clear understanding of why we did a lot of what we did. They understand us as full human beings now. In the same way, I think that I discovered that with my parents when I went away to college.”
Michelle added that her daughters were determined not to be seen as “little princesses” during their time in the White House.
“They wanted to push the envelope. They needed some rope. They wanted to try some things. They wanted to be out in the world,” she said. “And I knew under the circumstances they probably needed more rope than I could have given them if I was my mother.”
