Michelle Obama shared that her husband, Barack Obama, told her, “You’re next up” following the death of her mother.
Speaking with her brother, Craig Robinson, on Wednesday’s episode of the Insecurely Michelle Obama (IMO) podcast, the 61-year-old former First Lady opened up about the former president’s blunt response to Marian Robinson’s passing.
Reflecting on her loss, Michelle said, “If anything, with Mom’s death, I’m just grateful that you’re my big brother—and that I have a husband who’s older.”
“Barack said to me, ‘Well, you’re next up,’” Michelle Obama recalled. “And I told him, ‘I’m not really ready to be next up. You’re next up—and so is Craig. I’m delegating that responsibility to both of you.’”
Michelle confirmed on social media that their mother, Marian Robinson, passed away in May of last year at the age of 86. Their father, Fraser C. Robinson, died in 1991 at just 55 years old.
Speaking on Wednesday’s episode of the IMO podcast alongside her brother Craig Robinson, Michelle reflected on how the loss of both parents marks a turning point.
“That’s really when you become an adult—when your parents are no longer there to manage and maintain everything,” she said. “At some point, each of us steps into that role. We become the parent, the convener, the glue that holds everything together.”
Both Michelle and Craig acknowledged that filling the shoes left by their parents is no small task.
On Wednesday’s episode of the IMO podcast, 61-year-old Michelle Obama shared that her husband, former President Barack Obama, told her she was “next up” following the death of her mother, Marian Robinson.
Michelle confirmed on social media that their mother, Marian Robinson, passed away in May of last year at the age of 86. Their father, Fraser C. Robinson, died in 1991 at the age of 55.
Michelle and her brother, Craig Robinson, acknowledged on the podcast that stepping into their parents’ roles were “big shoes to fill” after losing both their mother and father.
“It’s a major shift in your life,” Michelle Obama said. “I don’t care how old you are—Mom and Dad are always Mom and Dad. Even when I was taking care of Mom, I still had to listen to her. I could kind of boss her around, but in the end, she was still my mother.”
“There’s comfort in that,” she added. “No matter how wise or experienced I may be, Mom always seemed to know more.”
Michelle’s candid reflections on losing her mother came as she revealed she had begun therapy to help navigate the next chapter of her life.
Speaking on The Jay Shetty Podcast, Michelle opened up about becoming an “empty nester” and seeking support as she enters her 60s.
“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy because I’m transitioning,” she said. “I’m 60 years old, I’ve come through something incredibly hard with my family intact, and now I’m an empty nester. My girls have launched.”
She explained that she’s now turning to “other voices” and has a “new person who’s getting to know me” as she works through this stage of change.
With her public service years behind her, Michelle noted that, for the first time, her choices are entirely her own.
“I no longer have the excuse of ‘My kids need this,’ or ‘My husband needs that,’ or ‘The country needs me.’ Now, every decision I make is completely mine.”
“Barack said, ‘Well, you’re next up,’ and I responded, ‘I’m not really ready for that,’” Michelle recalled. “I told him, ‘You’re next up—and so is Craig. I’m delegating that responsibility to you both.’”
Michelle shared that therapy is a “tune-up for this next phase” of her life, aimed at “unwinding some old habits” and “sorting through some old guilt,” all while focusing on her relationship with her mother.
“I’m getting that tune-up for this next phase because I believe this is a whole new chapter in my life,” she explained. “And I now have the wisdom to know—let me go get some coaching while I’m going through it.”
Michelle encouraged others who might need mental health support to seek therapy, emphasizing its importance.
“I’m a big advocate of it,” she said. “Everyone needs to find their own form of it, the best way they can.”
Last week, Michelle also set the record straight regarding speculation about her and Barack’s relationship during a podcast with entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett.
“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she said, laughing.
The conversation touched on media rumors about their marriage, particularly after Michelle skipped Donald Trump’s inauguration. Bartlett noted how some people assumed her absence signaled “an issue with you and Barack, that a divorce was coming.”
Michelle recently shared that she’s in therapy to help her transition into what she believes will be the “next phase” of her life.
On The Jay Shetty Podcast, Michelle Obama (pictured left) talked about becoming an “empty nester” and openly admitted to seeking “some help” as she approaches her 60s.
“Let me tell you, he would know it,” Michelle Obama said, pointing at her brother, Craig Robinson. “And everybody would know it.”
Michelle was promoting her own podcast, which she co-hosts with Robinson, when she made the remark.
She added that she’s “not a martyr” and joked about how she would handle marital strife in the public eye.
“I’d be problem-solving in public, like, ‘Let me tell you what he did,'” she laughed.
Robinson took it a step further: “If they were having a problem, I’d be doing a podcast with him.”
Michelle acknowledged that marriage isn’t easy for her and former President Obama, but emphasized, “I wouldn’t trade it,” calling him, “as the young people say… my person.”
She explained that the strength of their partnership lies in their mutual commitment: “The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was ever really, ever going to quit on it, because that’s just not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me.”
Michelle also shared her thoughts on young people giving up on marriage too quickly, suggesting that part of the issue comes from the unrealistic image of perfect unions that people perceive, especially regarding her relationship with Barack.
