- Friday, June 06, 2025
Michelle Obama shares her thoughts on daughter Malia’s choice to use her middle name instead of ‘Obama’ as she pursues a film career, emphasizing the importance of her daughters earning their own success and forging independent identities.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Michelle Obama is speaking candidly about her eldest daughter Malia’s recent decision to drop the ‘Obama’ surname as she embarks on her career in Hollywood. During a Wednesday (4) appearance on the “Sibling Revelry” podcast, hosted by Oliver and Kate Hudson, the former First Lady addressed Malia’s choice to go by her middle name, Malia Ann, for her creative work.
Malia, who wrote and directed the short film “The Heart,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024, used “Malia Ann” in the film’s credits. The move has drawn attention, especially as she is the daughter of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, both globally recognized figures.
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“Our daughters (Malia and Sasha) are 25 and 23. They are 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,” Obama told the Hudson siblings, noting that “you guys know this as the children of parents who are known.”
For Michelle, the decision reflects her daughters’ desire to carve out their own paths. “It is 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,” the “Becoming” author added. “They’re very sensitive to that – they want to be their own people.”
She elaborated on the family’s reaction to Malia’s artistic choice: “On Malia’s first project ‘she took off her last name, and we were like, they’re still going to know it’s you, Malia,’” Obama continued. “But we respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”
Michelle also reflected on the unique pressures her daughters faced growing up in the White House and in the public eye. She explained, “Our daughters didn’t want to be little princesses in the White House.”
“They wanted to push the envelope; they needed some rope. They wanted to try some things, they wanted to be out in the world, and I knew that under the circumstances, they needed more rope than I probably would’ve given them if I were my mom,” Obama said.
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The podcast episode, which also featured Michelle’s brother and “IMO” podcast co-host Craig Robinson, offered a rare look at how the Obama family navigates fame, privacy, and independence. The discussion resonated with the Hudson siblings, who have also grown up in the shadow of famous parents.
Malia Ann’s decision to use her middle name professionally is not just a personal branding move, but a statement about forging her own identity and earning her place in the competitive world of Hollywood. As Michelle Obama puts it, the family is supportive: “We respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”
