Michelle Obama can’t stand the way Barack Obama chews his food.
The former first lady addressed her husband’s irritating eating noises while discussing their marriage with couples therapist Dr. Orna Guralnik on Wednesday’s episode of her “IMO” podcast.
Michelle — who shares daughters Sasha, 24, and Malia, 27, with Barack — reflected on how they often find themselves having nothing to talk about at dinner time now that they are empty-nesters.
“We always have the kids to talk about, but not on a day-to-day basis,” Michelle said. “We’ve noticed how much of our time we’ve spent talking about them, right? So now that we’re empty-nesters, it’s like, ‘Well, what are we going to talk about?’”
Her brother and co-host, Craig Robinson, interjected to suggest that there is always “something to talk about” with a spouse, to which the therapist disagreed.
“There’s a way to be next to another person, even in silence, that can be very alive,” Guralnik offered.
The psychoanalyst then challenged Michelle to dive into what she is truly thinking about when seated across the table from Barack — and to address her deep feelings out loud.
“Because how many times does somebody ask, ‘What are you thinking about?’ And you’re like, ‘Well, let me make up a thing,’” Michelle said, adding, “Because I don’t actually want to tell you what I was thinking about, which is like, ‘The way you’re chewing makes me want to smack you upside the head.’”
Guralnik said that this talking point would be “really interesting” to bring up, before Michelle pondered the notion of telling Barack about her pet peeve.
Want more celebrity and pop culture news?
Start your day with Page Six Daily.
Thanks for signing up!
“Why does your chewing annoy me so much? Let’s discuss,” she jokingly acted out, adding. “Yeah, I don’t know if I’d bring that up.”
Guralnik argued that hearing a person chewing is the same thing as listening to the “essence” of who someone is — but also acknowledged that being annoyed by chewing sounds is “a thing” in marriage.
“The girls and I are very irritated with the way Barack chews,” Michelle said, referring to their kids.
Elsewhere in the episode, Michelle, 61, touched on the difficulties of navigating their relationship in the public eye.
“Even when it’s great, it’s hard,” she said of their marriage.
Michelle — who shut down unfounded divorce rumors earlier this year — has been married to Barack, 64, since 1992.
