Michelle Obama's Cold Jab at Barack Sparks Talk of Secret Divorce War

Michelle Obama caught some attention this week when she commented on her husband, Barack Obama, during their early days of dating, saying that when she first met her future husband, he "was not exactly financially sound."
This unexpected reveal happened on a recent episode of Michelle's "Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast," where she interviewed her brother, Craig Robinson, and author Jay Shetty. The trio talked about relationships, values, and the choices people have to make in life, and Michelle went viral for her straight-talking.
The former first lady responded bluntly, "Uh, I married one," when Shetty asked whether she could ever be interested in a man who wasn't financially secure.
Michelle worked at a Chicago law firm in 1988 when she met Barack. But Barack — he was then a summer associate — was not earning a lot at the firm.
Michelle said, per Hello, "I left my corporate firm when I met Barack," "I had somebody who was like, 'I got your back. The risks you think you're taking, they aren't that crazy, and I'm here to help you.'"
"I would rather have that in a partner than a higher income," she added. "I would rather have somebody who is ready to do some hard things with me. But that meant I had to be ready to do some hard things with him."
All Signs Reportedly Point to Secret Marital Trouble
While the podcast moment itself might not be harmful, insiders saw a potential glimpse at the bigger picture. They told Radar Online that an insider claimed signs of financial tussles could be hidden behind Michelle's comments.
"Michelle opening up about how she supported Barack before he made it big is a glaring sign they are embroiled in cash discussions behind the scenes," a source alleged. "It is also a sign their negotiations are not going smoothly and she may be setting out her stall to stake a claim to everything he has."
The couple, married in 1992, share a fortune of approximately $70 million, including an extensive property portfolio in Washington, DC, Chicago, and Martha's Vineyard, and a stock portfolio worth over $25 million.
"There's a sense they want to have everything ironed out in advance," another insider claimed. "The last thing they want is an ugly fight with lots of nasty legal filings."
There has been no official word from either 63-year-old Barack or Michelle. However, insiders claim that any separation would be amicable and kept as low-key as possible.
Read more: Michelle Obama Reveals Why She Married a 'Broke' Barack Over Someone With a Higher Income
Life in the Spotlight Took Its Toll
Michelle has previously spoken candidly about the difficulty of being married to a man in the political limelight.
"Being married to the president of the United States (is a) thing that none of us kind of banked on," she once said. "We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know..."
She had also previously disclosed that she wasn't on board with Barack's presidential run at first — crediting her sibling Craig with eventually helping to sway her.
"You talked me into supporting his run," Michelle told Craig in a previous episode. "He was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea. Because I was definitely like, no, no way."
The Obamas have not commented on the split rumors so far. But Michelle's words — and their timing — have only fanned the flames of speculation already swirling.