Now, Michelle is setting the record straight. Speaking on Sophia Bush’s Work in Progress podcast this week, the former First Lady made it clear that choosing to step away from public events had nothing to do with her marriage.

“When I say ‘no,’ most people get it. But others can’t imagine that I might just be making choices for myself,” Michelle said. “Instead, they assume something must be wrong — like my husband and I are splitting up.”

She pointed to the pressure women face to conform to expectations, adding, “Society doesn’t always allow women to simply act in their own interests. If our decisions don’t fit the narrative people expect, they often assume the worst.”

Her