Michelle Obama Opens Up About Malia’s Stage Name and Her Quest for Independence

Michelle Obama is backing her daughter’s decision to carve out her own path—one that includes dropping the world-famous “Obama” name. In an interview on the Sibling Revelry podcast with Kate and Oliver Hudson, the former First Lady opened up about why her eldest daughter, Malia Obama, now 26, chose to credit herself as “Malia Ann”—her middle name—for her directorial debut The Heart, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. According to Michelle, the move was less about secrecy and more about establishing an identity outside of the Barack Obama legacy.

“Our daughters are 25 and 23,” Michelle Obama said, referring to Malia entering Hollywood and younger daughter Sasha Obama, who just turned 24 on June 10. “They’re young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away. They’re still doing that.”

Michelle Obama noted that the “push away” is common among children of public figures and celebrities, especially when they’re trying to define themselves outside the family spotlight.

“You’re trying to distinguish yourself. It is very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world,” she said. “They don’t want people to assume that they don’t work hard, that they’re just naturally handed things. They’re very sensitive to that.”

This context explains why Malia, now forging her own path as a filmmaker, decided to drop the Obama surname. “She took off her last name, and we were like, ‘They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia,’” Michelle said with a laugh. “But we respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”

Malia Obama’s short film The Heart marks her official directorial debut. Premiering at Sundance, it drew attention not just for its creative merit, but for the name behind it, or lack thereof. Crediting herself as “Malia Ann,” she made a deliberate choice to test her art on its own merit.

Even former President Barack Obama couldn’t resist commenting on his daughter’s move during his appearance on The Pivot Podcast. “I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are,’” he joked. But Malia Obama’s response was telling: “I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association.”

Michelle also touched on how her daughters navigated life in the White House and the years that followed, explaining that they were never interested in being “little princesses.”

“They needed some rope,” she said. “They wanted to be out in the world. And I knew that under the circumstances, they needed to have more rope than I probably would’ve given them if I were my mother.”

As Malia Ann Obama continues her creative journey, it’s clear she’s determined to earn her place in Hollywood with ‘The Heart’—name or no name.