VIDEO: Barack Obama Discusses Malia’s Decision to Forego Family Name Professionally

 

Former President Barack Obama has addressed his daughter Malia's choice to omit the family name in her professional endeavors. The 26-year-old recently made her directorial debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with her film The Heart, where she chose to credit herself as Malia Ann instead of Malia Obama.

During a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Obama shared that Malia's decision to distance herself from the family name did not surprise him. He acknowledged the sensitivity and determination both Malia and her younger sister, Sasha, exhibit regarding their public identities. “The challenge for us is letting us give them any help at all,” he remarked, emphasizing their desire for independence.

Obama noted that while Malia aims to establish her own identity in the industry, he reminded her that people would likely recognize her regardless of the name she uses. “I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are,’” he said. Malia responded with a firm stance, expressing her wish for viewers to appreciate her work without preconceived associations tied to her family name. “She’s all like, ‘I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association,’” Obama recounted.

The former president also reflected on the challenges his daughters face with paparazzi and the pressures of public attention, noting, “Their attitude is, ‘We’re not looking for all that.’ So they’re grounded.” He and Michelle Obama prioritized giving Malia and Sasha a normal childhood, even considering not running for office to protect their privacy. To that end, Obama made an agreement with the White House press pool, allowing them to cover his activities while ensuring that his children were left out of the spotlight.

“I basically made a deal with the press pool,” he explained. “I said, ‘You can follow me around. You can talk about me. You do whatever you need to do. Leave my children alone because they have the right to grow up. They didn’t choose this. Let them grow up.’ And to the credit of the press, they did leave them alone.”

Reflecting on their accomplishments as they have grown, Obama praised his daughters, stating, “They’ve turned out amazing. I can’t brag about them enough.”

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