Barack and Michelle campaigned with Kamala Harris separately during the 2024 election campaign
QUESTIONS still continue to swirl about Barack and Michelle Obama’s marriage after he shared a snap of the couple on Valentine’s Day.
The former president paid tribute to Michelle as he said she still takes his breath away.
Obama revealed that he and Michelle have been together for 32 years.
Michelle shared the same picture on her Instagram feed and described Obama as her “rock.”
“Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” she captioned the post.
But in recent weeks, there has been intense speculation about the health of their marriage.
And some critics wasted no time in bringing up the subject of their relationship after Obama uploaded the picture on X.
They suggested that Obama had to share the snap to squash the speculation.
“Thought y’all were getting divorced for a second – had me worried,” one X user said.
Baseless speculation has been swirling for months that Obama and actress Jennifer Aniston had a secret romance.
She emphatically shut down the rumors during a sit-down on Jimmy Kimmel’s show in October.
Aniston responded to a magazine’s front page that said, “The Truth about Jen and Barack!”
“There’s no truth. I’ve met him once,” she told Kimmel.
“I know Michelle more than him.”
Aniston’s representative said the star doesn’t have a “personal friendship” with Obama.
The Valentine’s Day snap is not the first time there has been chatter about the Obamas’ marriage.
Last month, Obama appeared to fuel speculation about his marriage when he shared an awkward-looking picture of the pair holding hands
The couple, celebrating Michelle’s birthday, were inside a wine cellar.
“Happy birthday to the love of my life, Michelle Obama. You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it,” the caption underneath the image said.
“I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you!”
Michelle replied to the post, saying: “Love you, honey.”
In the picture, Obama had a beaming smile on his face and was sporting a gray shirt and smart dark trousers.
Meanwhile, Michelle sported a black v-neck dress and completed her look with a patterned headpiece.
However, the distance between Obama and Michelle proved a talking point.
One critic dissected the photo and suggested their smiles seemed unnatural.
“Are you two separated? Her smile looks fake,” another social media user asked.
OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT
Michelle has been out of the public eye in recent weeks.
She did not attend Jimmy Carter’s funeral or Donald Trump’s inauguration last month.
Her team confirmed she was still on an extended vacation in Hawaii.
Without his wife by his side, Obama was seen engaged in conversation with Trump at Carter’s funeral.
During the 2024 presidential election cycle, Obama and Michelle warmly embraced onstage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The Obamas endorsed Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee, but they campaigned with the then vice president separately.