It seems former President Barack Obama has been going it alone lately, attending various outings without his wife Michelle Obama by his side. When Michelle was notably absent from Jimmy Carter’s funeral, it put the rumor mill into overdrive with many questioning the reasons behind her forgoing such an important event. Now with the news that Michelle will not be attending Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 with Barack, speculation as to what is going on with America’s beloved first couple is rising. In fact, the duo hasn’t been seen together for the first few weeks of 2025, with their last outing together being in December 2024 for a dinner at Mother Wolf in Los Angeles.

Footage of the duo exiting the restaurant raised eyebrows. For starters, Michelle is walking in front of Barack instead of the couple exiting side by side. Then, there’s the eerie smile Michelle has on her face, while Barack looks incredibly morose or at the very least lost in deep thought. Perhaps she hit him with the fact that she’ll be skipping out on Trump’s inauguration and he had to process the news (we wouldn’t blame her for wanting to skip it, since Melania Trump notoriously does not care for the Obamas). Or maybe there’s more going on within their marriage.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, body language expert Judi James didn’t like the writing on the wall she was reading for Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. After viewing the footage of the couple leaving Mother Wolf, James pointed out there was “no sign of any chatting or coupling up between them.” In fact, Michelle was possibly being a little shady in her smile. James said, “[Michelle] sports the kind of wide, beaming smile with downward-pointing eye-gaze that suggests a coy kind of happiness,” which is interesting considering how sad Barack looks.

It could just be that Michelle was trying to keep up appearances for the cameras — being spotted by paparazzi is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, this coupled with her not showing up to major events like funerals or inaugurations with her husband is troubling. Some on the internet suggest that Michelle is still taking the time to mourn the loss of her mother, Marian Robinson, who passed away in May 2024. One user on X, formerly Twitter, posted, “Michelle Obama is in mourning/grieving the loss of her mom…. On top of her not being a political figure and you all believe a TikTok about her and Barack getting a divorce because she missed a funeral and won’t attend a felon’s inauguration.” Considering how petty Melania Trump was the last time Michelle had to attend a White House tour with her, her smile easily makes sense in the context of getting to skip the inauguration.