Podcast Appearance Reveals Malia’s Artistic Choice
Michelle Obama discussed her eldest daughter’s decision to use her middle name professionally during a June 4 appearance on the “Sibling Revelry” podcast with Oliver and Kate Hudson. Malia Ann wrote and directed the short film “The Heart,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024 under her middle name. Michelle explained that after former President Barack Obama’s second term, Malia chose to drop “Obama” from her credits.
Our daughters (Malia and Sasha) are 25 and 23. They went through a “push away” period in their teen years, Michelle said, noting that children of well-known parents often need space to assert themselves. Malia’s choice to omit her last name illustrates this desire to be judged on her own merits.
Balancing Legacy and Personal Achievement
Michelle Obama emphasized the importance of her girls earning their place in the world. She noted that michelle obama’s daughters are sensitive to assumptions of privilege and work hard to establish their own identities. On Malia’s first project, “she took off her last name, and we were like, they’re still going to know it’s you, Malia,” Michelle recalled. Yet she respected that Malia was forging her own path in Hollywood.
- Michelle highlighted how obama daughters names carry weight. But that her girls wanted “to be their own people.”
- Sasha Obama, a University of Southern California alum, shares in this journey of independence alongside her sister.
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Parenting Known Figures’ Children
Speaking with the Hudson siblings—children of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson—Michelle reflected on giving her daughters “rope” to explore. She said, “Our daughters didn’t want to be little princesses in the White House. They wanted to push the envelope; they needed some rope.” She acknowledged that under unique circumstances, her children required more freedom than she might have granted if she were her own mother.
Malia’s decision and Sasha’s path show how michelle obama’s daughters navigate life beyond the spotlight of barack obama’s presidency. By allowing them autonomy, Michelle supports their growth as young adult women establishing careers. And identities separate from their family name.
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