Former President Barack Obama Jokes He’s Been ‘Trying to Dig Out of a Hole’ With Wife Michelle Obama

Former President Barack Obama opened up about his marriage to wife Michelle Obama when he sat down for a talk with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper.

Barack, 63, told Steven, 57, that he “was in a deep deficit with [his] wife” after he finished writing the second half of his presidential memoirs on Thursday, April 3.

“So, I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things,” he added.

Plus, he noted that he and Michelle, 61, had been working on the Obama Foundation.

“Well, right now, at the moment, I’m splitting time between the work for the foundation,” he said. “Michelle and I set up the Obama Foundation to train the next generation of leaders here in the United States and around the world, and that keeps me busy.”

Barack’s comments came after months of whispers that his and Michelle’s marriage had hit a rough patch. The speculation that there might be trouble in paradise ramped up after Michelle was notably absent from former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration, both in January.

Despite the rumors, Barack posted a sweet tribute to his wife for her birthday on January 17.

“You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you!” he captioned a photo of the two of them holding hands across a table that he shared to Instagram.

In March, Michelle made her first public appearance in more than two months when she took the stage at SXSW. The mom of two explained why she and her brother, Craig Robinson, launched their new podcast, “IMO,” which is short for “in my opinion.”

“We’re dealing with a lot of uncertainties,” Michelle said. “People always ask me and Barack, how did we stay hopeful in, not just the eight years in the White House, but beyond? Because, let me tell you, there was a lot of negative energy flipping our way, a lot of rumors, a lot of gossip….”

However, a source exclusively told In Touch that there was no underlying meaning behind Michelle’s lack of appearances.

“So, she simply chose to stay out of the spotlight for a while,” the insider explained on March 28. “It hasn’t helped that she’s been under a lot of pressure to be more outspoken on current events, but she’s never liked politics — that’s Barack’s thing.”

The source noted that Michelle has been relatively open about her and Barack’s marriage and has confessed that they had managed their way through some of their more difficult times and have been to couples therapy.

“The Obamas have been through so much that, at this point, they feel no need to publicly address that kind of talk,” the insider said on March 28. “The last thing either of them wants to do is try to explain their relationship to people.”

The source concluded, “They’ve been married for three decades and don’t need to be on top of each other 24/7. They’ll always have each other’s back. They’re confident in their relationship and don’t care what anyone thinks.”