Former First Lady Michelle Obama is opening up about how her daughter Malia is navigating life under the weight of a famous last name—and why dropping it was part of a larger move for independence.
In a revealing conversation on the Sibling Revelry podcast with Kate and Oliver Hudson this week, Michelle Obama shared candid thoughts about Malia’s decision to go by “Malia Ann” professionally, rather than using her full name, Malia Obama.
The name change, Michelle said, was part of what she called a natural “push away” from her and former President Barack Obama as their daughters, Malia (26) and Sasha (23), continue to find their footing as young adult women.
“Our daughters are 26 and 23, they are young adult women. But they definitely went through a period in their teen years… it was the ‘push away,'” Michelle said. “They’re still doing that, and you guys know this of children with parents who are known.”
Michelle explained that both daughters are intent on establishing themselves based on their own talents, not their family legacy.
“They don’t want people to assume they don’t work hard or that they’re just naturally handed things,” she said.
Malia, a Harvard graduate, made headlines last year when she dropped “Obama” from the credits of her short film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, opting instead to be listed as “Malia Ann,” her first and middle names. She has also gained creative recognition as a writer for the Amazon Prime miniseries Swarm and recently directed a Nike commercial.
“We were like, ‘They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia,'” Michelle said with a laugh, before adding, “But we respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”
The Obamas have long encouraged their daughters to be self-made and grounded, even amid public scrutiny. For Malia, that includes shaping a creative career while stepping out from her parents’ powerful political shadow.
