If your parents are former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, it would be easy to work your last name and turn it into a successful career in the entertainment industry – especially when most of Black America is still daydreaming about the time they spent occupying the White House. But former First Daughters Malia and Sasha Obama have been doing their best to distance themselves from the Obama name, and now their mother is speaking out about it.
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Recently, the former First Lady sat down with siblings and actors Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson on their “Sibling Revelry” podcast to talk about how she feels about her girls coming into their own, including Malia’s decision to drop Obama and use her middle name, Ann, in the credits of her short film, “The Heart,” which was featured at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Our forever First Lady told the Hudsons that her now-grown daughters, Malia (25) and Sasha (23), are very sensitive to the idea of others writing them off as nothing more than nepo babies and are trying to what they can to carve their own unique lanes, despite their extremely famous last name.
“I mean it’s very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world. And they don’t want people to assume that they don’t work hard, that they’re just naturally just handed things,” she said.
The ladies of “The View” discussed Mrs. Obama’s comments on the show, and agreed that they respect Malia and Sasha’s choice not to try to open doors with their last name.
“I respect and deeply admire that they’re saying, ‘Hey, I recognize I have this amazing name I’m so proud of, but I really want to make my own way and carve my own path.’ I think that is so cool,” said co-host Sara Haines.
Although Maila and Sasha are full-fledged independent California girls now, their mom believes they have a strong foundation and will be just fine.
“Now that they are older, they are embracing our parenting principles in the same way I think that I discovered that about my parents,” she said.
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