Michelle Obama Says Daughter Malia Dropped Her Last Name To Forge Her Own Path In Hollywood: ‘They Want To Be Their Own People’

Michelle Obama Says Daughter Malia Dropped Her Last Name To Forge Her Own Path In Hollywood: ‘They Want To Be Their Own People’

Michelle Obama is opening up about daughter Malia’s decision to drop the Obama surname as she launches her career in Hollywood.

On the “Sibling Revelry” podcast, Michelle explained that Malia, 25, used her middle name in the credits for her Sundance-debut short film “The Heart.”

“She took off her last name, and we were like, they’re still going to know it’s you, Malia,” she said. “But we respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”

Michelle emphasized the importance of independence for both Malia and Sasha, 23.

“They’re very sensitive to that—they want to be their own people,” she shared. “They don’t want people to assume that they don’t work hard.”

Reflecting on raising daughters in the spotlight, Michelle said, “They didn’t want to be little princesses in the White House… they wanted to be out in the world.”

“They needed more rope than I probably would’ve given them if I were my mom.”

Do you think Malia made the right decision to drop the family name?