“Sadness, loss, heartbreak and even anger is present for those who loved her.”
Michelle Obama is breaking her silence on why she didn’t attend Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The 61-year-old former First Lady made headlines when she declined an invitation to the Jan. 20 inaugural ceremony that saw Trump sworn in as President for a second term.
Instead, her husband, former President Barack Obama, attended the event by himself — much like he did when seated next to Trump at Jimmy Carter’s state funeral on Jan. 9.
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On April 23, Michelle Obama took to her “IMO” podcast, which she hosts with her brother Craig Robinson, to discuss her decision to say no to certain public events.
As she explains on the podcast, Michelle Obama was simply doing what she felt was best for her.
"I’m here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me," she said on the podcast, which featured acclaimed actor Taraji P. Henson as a guest.
"And it took everything in my power to not do the thing that was perceived as right, but do the things that was right for me — that was a hard thing for me to do,” she added, per People.
The decision was such a hard one to make that Michelle Obama says she had to “trick herself” into making it.
To do that, she made certain that she wouldn’t have a dress prepared for her to wear — which would’ve made it easy to give into the pressure of attending.
“I was like, if I’m not going to do this thing, I got to tell my team. I don’t even want to have a dress ready, right? Because it’s so easy to just say, 'Let me do the right thing,'" she continued.
Michelle Obama opens up about the criticism she received
Also on her podcast, Michelle Obama commented on the criticism — and divorce rumors — that came as a result of her decision not to attend Carter’s funeral and Trump’s inauguration.
“My decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me were met with such ridicule and criticism,” she explained on the podcast, per Today.
"People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart, you know?" she added.
Michelle Obama was referring to the many rumors that the Obamas were experiencing a rough point in their marriage. Those rumors were only exacerbated by her decision.
But that, of course, wasn’t the issue at hand, says Michelle Obama.
Her comments echoed her remarks while talking to Sophie Bush on the actress’s “Work in Progress” podcast, released April 7.
In that episode, Michelle Obama talks about the power of making choices for herself.
"This year people were — they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” she said of missing Trump’s inauguration.
"That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people," she added.
Now, Michelle Obama hopes her mindset and actions help teach her daughters the art of saying no and the power of doing what’s best for them.
“I want our daughters, I want the young women out there… I want my girls to start practicing different strategies for saying no,” Michelle Obama said on the April 23 episode of her “IMO” podcast.
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Michelle and Barack Obama, who have been married since 1992, share two daughters — Malia Obama, 26, and Sasha Obama, 23 — together.
