On Jay Shetty’s Podcast, Michelle Obama Talks About Therapy, Aging, Divorce Gossip
India-West News Desk
LOS ANGELES,CA – Michelle Obama opened up about being in therapy during an appearance on life coach and former monk Jay Shetty’s popular podcast On Purpose. The former first lady candidly discussed her ongoing transition into a new life phase, explaining that she turned to professional help as she navigates life at 60 — no longer in the White House, no longer actively parenting, and now free to focus on her own growth.
“I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know?” Obama said in the April 28 episode to Shetty. “I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact. I’m an empty nester. My girls have been launched.”
She explained that with daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, now out of the house, and both she and Barack Obama stepping away from public service, she’s entering a chapter where, for the first time in decades, every decision is hers alone. “I don’t have the excuse of, ‘My kids need this,’ or ‘The country needs that.’ So I’m getting that tune-up for this next phase because I believe this is a whole ‘nother phase in life for me.”
Jay Shetty, whose journey from monkhood in India to global podcast host and author has inspired millions, guided the conversation into deeper reflections about healing, identity, and growth. Michelle was joined on the episode by her brother and podcast co-host Craig Robinson, where the siblings talked about how their parents fostered a “safe space” growing up — one that laid the groundwork for their openness to therapy today.
As for divorce rumors that recently surrounded her 30-year marriage to Barack Obama Michelle didn’t shy away from addressing them head-on — and with humor. Laughing at the speculation, she brushed off the gossip as absurd. “If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she said. “I would be problem-solving in public. I’m not a martyr.”
She rejected the idea that her independence or introspection somehow signaled trouble in her relationship, saying people seem to struggle with the concept of “a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself.”
Her comments come months after Barack publicly shut down the rumors himself, posting a heartfelt birthday message in January and a loving selfie for Valentine’s Day.
