Michelle Obama skipping Washington events not evidence of power couple’s divorce

Unfounded divorce rumors about former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama continue to flourish on social media a month after Michelle Obama skipped two high-profile Washington, D.C., events

"News just in," a Feb. 17 Facebook post’s caption said. The post shared a screenshot of a Jan. 24 article from the website RadarOnline with the headline, "Barack and Michelle Obama 'Locked in Bombshell Divorce of the Century' — And How It Is Set to Cost Power Couple $70Million Fortune."

The celebrity gossip site’s article quotes unnamed "insiders" who said the former president and first lady are "headed for divorce." The article speculated about the difficulty of separating the millions of dollars they’ve earned since leaving the White House.

The Facebook post linked to a story in the comments, but not to RadarOnline. Rather, it linked to a much shorter article on a nondescript website that appears to have taken bits and pieces of the Radar story.

Rumors about the Obamas’ marriage have circulated on social media since Michelle Obama did not join her husband at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral or at President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Michelle Obama did not publicly say why she didn’t attend either event. In her 2018 memoir, "Becoming," she wrote that she would "never forgive" Trump for pushing the false claim that her husband wasn’t born in the U.S. Those allegations were "crazy and mean-spirited" and put her "family at risk," she wrote.

Trump attended Carter’s funeral. He sat next to Obama and the two appeared to engage in pleasant conversation.

After Michelle Obama skipped both January events, social media users spread a baseless claim using artificially generated images that originally began as satire in 2014. That unfounded rumor said Barack Obama had an affair with former "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston, PolitiFact reported Feb. 5. Aniston shot down the rumor in an October appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" saying it was "absolutely untrue," as Kimmel held up a copy of the gossip magazine "In Touch" with the headline, "The Truth About Jen & Barack!"

There is no evidence that the Obamas are divorcing. They have not publicly spoken about the rumors, but have shared recent social media posts declaring their love for each other.

On Valentine’s Day, Barack Obama wrote on X, "Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentine’s Day, @MichelleObama!"

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"The Philadelphia Eagles have declined their invitation to the White House,” as of Feb. 24.

Michelle Obama, in her own Valentine’s Day X post wrote, "If there’s one person I can always count on, it’s you, @BarackObama. You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!"

On Michelle Obama’s Jan. 17 birthday, Barack Obama celebrated on X with a photo of the couple holding hands at a dinner table, writing, "Happy birthday to the love of my life, @MichelleObama. You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life's adventures with you. Love you!"

Michelle Obama responded by resharing her husband’s post, writing, "Love you, honey!" and adding heart and kiss emojis.

Predictably, social media influencers pushing the divorce claims were not convinced, with conservative Benny Johnson calling the birthday photo a "hostage photo."

PolitiFact possesses no knowledge of the inner workings of the Obamas’ marriage, but there’s no public evidence the couple are locked in a divorce battle, as the Facebook post claims. We rate it False.