Michelle Obama revealed her marriage woes as speculation continues to mount that she and husband Barack are headed for a divorce. 

The debut of the former first lady’s new podcast named IMO, alongside her brother Craig Robinson, took place on Wednesday. In this podcast episode, she provided a glimpse into her marriage at a time when rumors about a potential divorce are circulating.

‘I couldn’t have gotten through eight years in the White House without my big brother,’ Michelle, 61, admitted of her stint as first lady between 2009 and 2017. 

‘… being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that that none of us kind of banked on. We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know…’

Michelle, who has long been open about her dislike for politics, shared that it was Robinson who talked her into supporting Obama’s run for president.  

‘You talked me into supporting his run. And he was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea,’ Michelle said. ‘Because I was definitely like, no, no way.’

Michelle also confessed that she was irritated by Obama’s lack of punctuality at the start of their relationship. 

‘Barack had to adjust to what on time was… you know, I’ve got this husband who, when it’s time to leave, he’s getting up and going to the bathroom.

‘And I was like, dude, like 3 three o’clock departure means you’ve done all that. It’s like, don’t start looking for your glasses, you know, at the 3:00 departure.

‘But he’s improved over 30 years of marriage. But that was… you must adjust.’

Robinson responded with a joke that the former president, who was born in Hawaii, was ‘on island time.’

In the second episode of the podcast, Michelle opens up to writer and actress Issa Rae about her annoyance at Obama’s lack of deep conversations with his ‘buddies’ when they golf for as long as five hours.

Michelle said her husband ‘does not fully understand’ the complexities of emotional female friendships and sometimes interrupts girl time.

‘My husband is like, “what are you talking about all day?”‘ 

The former first lady, 61, will interview a variety of guests in her podcast, IMO – an acronym for ‘in my opinion.’

Michelle and Robinson will offer advice from their personal experience while refraining from addressing current affairs.

In the first episode,  Robinson chatted about his divorce, while he and Michelle also spoke about growing up on Chicago’s South Side.

The podcast comes as divorce rumors continue to haunt the Obamas, who have been married for 32 years but have not been seen together often in recent months.

The podcast was announced by Higher Ground, the production company founded by the Obamas in 2018. The company has previously released a limited series about Steve Wonder and a celebrity interview show about family recipes. Michelle previously hosted a podcast, The Michelle Obama Podcast.

Guests for the project will include a mix of celebrities such as Tyler Perry, Seth Rogen and Jay Shetty. Writer and actress Issa Rae will be the guest for the second episode.

Robinson, who is known to enjoy a close relationship with his sister, is the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches which is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

Rumors of trouble in paradise for the Obamas intensified earlier this month after the former president attended a Los Angeles Clippers NBA game without Michelle.

The 63-year-old has faced months of intensifying scrutiny over his marriage. Obama was notably alone at Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and Donald Trump’s inauguration, where Michelle declined to attend, a tradition first broke by the Trumps in 2021.

Michelle was spotted last month enjoying a fun evening with her older brother Craig at Mother Wolf, a popular restaurant in Los Angeles.

Obama attempted to quash the speculation by posting a loved-up selfie of the couple smiling on Instagram for Valentine’s Day.

‘Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentine’s Day, Michelle Obama!’ the Democrat wrote in a social media caption.

It was unclear when the image was taken, but Michelle shared the same selfie on her own account.

She wrote: ‘If there’s one person I can always count on, it’s you, Barack Obama. You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!’

The Obamas have been spending an increasing amount of time in California since 2021 when eldest daughter Malia relocated to LA after graduating from Harvard to pursue a career in screen writing and film production.

Famously, the Golden State was their first stop after leaving the White House in 2016 with the former First Couple treating their family to a vacation in a secluded Palm Springs mansion.

Since then, their love of the famously Liberal state has only grown with younger daughter Sasha transferring to the University of Southern California from the University of Michigan in 2022.

After graduating with a degree in sociology, Sasha has shown interest in following her sister into the entertainment business.