Michelle Obama: For 10 Years, 'I Couldn't Stand' Barack

Barack and Michelle Obama celebrated 30 years of marriage in 2022, but the former first lady wasn't thrilled with her spouse a good chunk of that time. "People think I'm being catty by saying this—it’s like, there were 10 years where I couldn't stand my husband," she told a round-table forum for Revolt TV. "And guess when it happened? When those kids were little." Michelle says her husband's political career was rising quickly at the time, while she was the primary caretaker of daughters Sasha and Malia, per People.

"And for 10 years while we're trying to build our careers and, you know, worrying about school and who's doing what and what, I was like, 'Ugh, this isn’t even,'" said Michelle, who is promoting her book The Light We Carry. "And guess what? Marriage isn't 50/50—ever, ever." She elaborated on that split: "There are times I'm 70, he’s 30. There are times he's 60, 40, but guess what? Ten years—we've been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30—it's just how you look at it. And people give up … [saying], 'Five years—I can’t take it.'" (More Michelle Obama stories.)