Those rumors about the state of Barack and Michelle Obama’s marriage continue to swirl.
The couple first raised eyebrows when the former first lady failed to accompany her husband to the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter in early January. She also skipped Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. All the while, there have been rumblings of trouble in paradise.
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by the hosts of Ruthless – John Ashbrook, Michael Duncan, Josh Holmes, and Comfortably Smug – to discuss the ongoing speculation and who might be behind the leaks.
The Reports
While the gossip mill never stops churning, there are increasingly credible reports about the possibility the Obamas are headed for splitsville. Earlier this month, political influencer and content creator Jessica Reed Kraus published a report on her Substack, House in Habit, titled “Insiders Predict An Obama Divorce Announcement Coming Soon.”
“When Barack showed up alone at Carter’s funeral, I called a divorce announcement coming soon—and I’m not the only one,” she wrote. “Whispers about cracks in their relationship have been circulating D.C. for over a year now, but this feels like the first public proof of a marriage on the rocks.”
As for those rumors about the former president and Jennifer Aniston? Krause said she has heard musings “for months” about the pair that seemed ridiculous at first but have yet to die down. She then posted the contents of a direct message she received on January 14:
“He’s with Jennifer Aniston. My old manager, now a friend, is connected to her inner circle. At a gathering with Jennifer’s friends, the affair came up casually—Jennifer herself admitted it. They were sitting with a psychic, which makes it sound surreal, but it’s definitely not a secret among her closest friends.”
Speculation about the Obama-Aniston affair started percolating last year, and the Friends star went so far as to deny an InTouch report about it during an October appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “I was not mad at it, but that is absolutely untrue,” she said. “I’ve met him once. I know Michelle more than him.”
Regardless of the Aniston factor, Reed Kraus suggested the marriage is likely over. “The question now isn’t if, but when,” she wrote.
Who’s Leaking What?
If any aspect of this story proves to be correct, Megyn said it will be stunning. “I do not know whether this is true at all,” she said. “But if it is true, it truly would be a political earthquake in Democrat circles, nevermind America. I don’t remember a presidential divorce in modern history.”
Holmes had a theory on how the rumors, especially those involving Aniston, may have spread. “Maybe Jennifer Aniston is the Bidens’ answer to George Clooney here,” he said in reference to the bombshell op-ed the actor wrote – reportedly with Barack’s blessing – encouraging Biden to exit the 2024 race. “I have heard this sort of thing bumbling around in D.C., and there are some connections there with what you would call ‘reputable people’ because they served in an administration.”
As Comfortably Smug noted, there is no love lost between the former president and his VP. “The Bidens and Obamas hate each other because Obama is very good friends with Hunter Biden’s ex-wife,” he noted. “That has led to a significant problem where they don’t like Hunter and if you don’t like Hunter, Joe doesn’t like you. So, I would not be surprised if Holmes is right on with this.”
Megyn’s mind was blown at the suggestion the Bidens are leaking this story, but, as Ashbrook noted, this could be just the tip of the iceberg. “If it is true and he leaves Michelle Obama high and dry and she is dissatisfied, I cannot wait to learn about all of these secrets that Barack Obama has kept hidden over the years from Michelle Obama and her pals,” he said. “Because you know there is a whole past on Obama nobody has written about, but she could be a first witness.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Ruthless by tuning in to episode 990 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.