In the latest episode of Michelle Obama‘s IMO podcast, the former First Lady got personal about what first drew her to former President Barack Obama.
The 61-year-old told her brother and co-host, Craig Robinson, that back when she was mentoring a young Barack at a Chicago law firm, he was already the talk of the office. While Michelle assumed he was “probably a little weird” and “nerdy,” she felt the “first sparky feeling” when they spoke on the phone prior to meeting in person. It was his “assured” voice that truly caught her attention.
“He had his Barack Obama voice,” she recalled. “The voice was sexier than the image I had. I was like, ‘Ooh, I didn’t expect this.’ And he was older and self-assured.”
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Prior to them meeting in person, she jokingly said the only photo she had of Barack was not doing him much justice, so her expectations were low until he walked into the office. “I was pleasantly surprised,” she admitted, laughing. “He was much cuter than his picture.” Eventually the two hit it off over a long lunch and spent most of the summer together.
Michelle recalled trying her best to keep things professional between them, even going so far as to play matchmaker and set Barack up with one of her friends. The “slow burn” between them, however, became harder to ignore, especially with Barack’s charm. “You’re cute, you’re cool. Why not?” she recalled him telling her while confidently adding, “Who cares what the firm thinks?”
And the rest was history. The couple tied the knot in October 1992 and went on to raise two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Thirty-two years later the two have faced career pivots, a historic presidency, and life’s many ups and downs together, despite what comes their way.
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Listen to the full episode here.
