Former First Lady Michelle Obama opened up about the challenges of being married to a high-profile political figure and spoke candidly about women’s reproductive health during the latest episode of her podcast, “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson,” as per Fox News.
Joined by guest Dr. Sharon Malone—an OB-GYN and the wife of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder—Obama reflected on their shared experiences as the spouses of prominent public officials.
“They put us together because we were both reluctant spouses attending one of these huge dinners,” Obama recalled, describing her first meeting with Malone during her husband Barack Obama’s early days as a U.S. senator. “There was a line of people waiting to shake hands with our respective husbands… people reaching over our heads and spilling water on us trying to get to these two illustrious men.”
The moment, Obama said, sparked an instant connection.
“She had the same look on her face as I did, like, ‘Here we go,’” she added. “We exchanged a glance like, ‘You see this? Like, this is crazy, isn’t it, girl?’”
The two quickly bonded over their shared experiences.
Malone noted the encounter took place before either husband held a major national office, during a time when Barack Obama was still living in Chicago and Holder was in private practice.
The episode also delved into women’s health and reproductive rights, with Obama speaking passionately about what she views as a lack of understanding—particularly among men—regarding the complexity of women’s reproductive systems.
“So many men have no idea about what women go through,” Obama said. “We haven’t been researched. We haven’t been considered. And it still affects the way a lot of male lawmakers, politicians, and religious leaders think about the issue of choice.”
