Obamas spotted together on NYC date night after Michelle admits she's in therapy amid divorce rumors
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Barack and Michelle Obama were spotted out on a date night in NYC amid swirling rumors that their marriage is on the rocks.
The former president and first lady were seen together in public for the first time in six months while leaving The Lowell Hotel restaurant surrounded by an entourage of secret service agents.
Michelle, 61, led the way as the couple walked towards their waiting black SUV.
Dressed in black dress and black heels she appeared to flash a broad smile to onlookers and cameras. Her hair was tied back in a braid and she carried a small black clutch.
Trailing just behind, Barack, 63, looked more pensive with his expression harder to read - tight-lipped, serious, and unusually reserved.
Despite the mild temperatures he wore a black wool overcoat and dark grey pants as he made his way to the vehicle.
The contrast between them couldn’t have been more striking with Michelle, leading the way with poise and ease with her husband quiet and unsmiling.
The outing comes after months of speculation that the Obamas' marriage has hit the rocks.
The rumors were only fueled further by Michelle's noticeable absence from several high-profile events this year; including January's presidential inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.
In March, Michelle also skipped their usual courtside seats at the NBA All-Star Game.
The couple were seen going out to dinner in DC last month.
Social media and the tabloids have all served to amplify claims that the couple may soon be heading for a split. On one recent podcast Michelle revealed how she is in therapy to help her transition to what she thinks is the 'next phase' of her life.
Earlier this month, Michelle addressed the rumors head on during an episode of the podcast The Diary of a CEO.
'If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,' Michelle said.
She dismissed speculation about marital issues emphasizing that her decisions to skip certain high-profile events were personal choices aimed at prioritizing her own needs, rather than any indications of marital discord.
During the podcast Michelle acknowledged that marriage is 'hard' for her and the former president but added that 'I wouldn't trade it,' calling President Obama, 'as the young people say... my person.'
'The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was ever really, ever going to quit at it, because that's not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me.'
Michelle has been open about her marriage struggles throughout the years and particularly on her new podcast, IMO (In my Opinion), which she hosts with her brother Craig Robinson.
The Obamas have been married for 32 years but have faced ongoing rumors about their marriage status over the last several months.
On The Jay Shetty Podcast, Michelle discussed being an 'empty nester' and admitting to getting 'some help' as she heads into her 60s.
'At this phase of my life, I'm in therapy right now because I'm transitioning, you know? I'm 60 years old, I've finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact, I'm an empty nester, my girls are in—you know, they've been launched,' she said.
Michelle said that she's got 'other voices' to talk to and a 'new person that's getting to know me' as she works through things.
Being out of public service, she now finds herself in a situation where 'every choice that I'm making is completely mine.'
'I now don't have the excuse of, "Well, my kids need this" or "My husband needs that" or "The country needs that."'
She says that therapy is a 'tune-up for this next phase' in an attempt to 'unwind some old habits and 'sort through some old guilt,' along with focusing on her relationship with her mother.
'So, I'm getting that tune-up for this next phase because I believe this is a whole 'nother phase in life for me. And I now have the wisdom to know—let me go get some coaching while I'm doing it,' she said.
Michelle has shared that the former president was broke when they met and that she had to be convinced to support his bid for the White House.
'Being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that that none of us kind of banked on. We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know...' she said.
Michelle also addressed the rumors directly on an episode of actress Sophia Bush's podcast.
She said her decision to skip President Jimmy Carter's funeral, and President Donald Trump's inauguration, were simply decisions she made for herself.
Her absence at both high-profile political events stoked divorce rumors, as did President Obama's admission that he was in a 'deep deficit' with his wife.
'That's the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know, they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,' Obama said in the podcast episode, released Tuesday.
'That this couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?' she continued.
Michelle added: 'That's what society does to us.'
'We start actually, finally going, "What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?" And if it doesn't fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible.'
Earlier on Tuesday, shocking footage captured the moment two female Secret Service agents fought with each other outside the Obamas $8 million DC mansion.
The altercation unfolded May 21 at around 2:30am as the former president's security detail grappled next to a police vehicle.
In audio before the fight shared by RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree, one of the Secret Service agents was reportedly heard calling for a supervisor as she threatened to attack her colleague.
'Can I get a supervisor down to Delta two immediately before I whoop this girl's ass,' the agent in the audio said.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, a Secret Service spokesperson said the fight came as the agents were on-duty. It is unclear if the Obamas were in the home at the time.
'The individuals involved were suspended from duty and this matter is the subject of an internal investigation,' the statement read.
'The Secret Service has a very strict code of conduct for all employees and any behavior that violates that code is unacceptable. Given this is a personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further.'
It comes a year after a Secret Service agent assigned to then-Vice-President Kamala Harris was removed from duty after she got into a physical fight with her fellow agents.
