Michelle Obama Reacts to Malia Dropping Her Surname

Michelle Obama Reflects on Malia Dropping ‘Obama’ Name Professionally
Michelle Obama has opened up about how she and former President Barack Obama responded when their daughter, Malia, decided to stop using the Obama surname in her professional life.
Speaking on the Sibling Revelry podcast with Kate and Oliver Hudson on June 3, Michelle revealed that Malia informed her parents she would no longer use the family name in her creative work.
“Malia, who started in film, dropped her last name in her first project,” Michelle explained. “And we’re like, ‘They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia.’ But we respect that she’s trying to make her way.”
Malia, 26, first used the name Malia Ann—her given names—in the credits for her short film The Heart, which premiered at Sundance in February 2024.
Her decision sparked public curiosity as it marked a conscious step toward crafting her own identity apart from her famous lineage.
Michelle acknowledged the move as part of a natural desire for independence. “Our daughters are 26 and 23.
They are young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away,” she said, referencing both Malia and her younger sister, Sasha. “They’re still doing that. They’re trying to distinguish themselves.”
Michelle emphasized that her daughters are determined to be seen for their own achievements.
“It’s important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world,” she said. “They’re very sensitive to the idea that things are just handed to them.”
Reflecting on raising her children under the microscope of the White House, Michelle said that experience shaped how she parented. “They didn’t want to be little princesses,” she noted. “They wanted to push the envelope.
They needed some rope. And I knew, under the circumstances, they probably needed more rope than I could’ve given them if I was my mother.”
Now, she said, her daughters appreciate the values instilled in them. “They’re embracing our parenting principles,” Michelle added.
“They understand why we did what we did. They see us as full human beings now—just as I did with my own parents when I went to college.”
Michelle Obama Reacts to Malia Dropping Her Surname