Malia Obama And Her Rumored Beau Dawit Eklund Have A Major Age Gap
The country looked on as Malia And Sasha Obama's childhood in the White House unfolded before our eyes. These days, though, the former president's daughters are all grown up. In 2022, the sisters moved to Los Angeles together, and Malia is forging her own career in Hollywood. And, while she may be making some major strides professionally, it's her personal life that has folks' attention these days. She's rumored to be dating a man who's nearly a decade older than her, and it's unclear whether or not things are getting serious.
Since they started dating publicly in 2022, the world has wanted to know about Malia Obama's mystery man. Beginning in the summer of 2022, Malia was rumored to be dating Dawit Eklund, and the pair were photographed many times together. Eklund is an up-and-coming record producer who co-founded the Washington, D.C. independent record label, 1432 R. It's clear that both Malia and Eklund have bright futures in the entertainment industry. Consequently, it's easy to see how these two D.C. natives found each other and why they're a great match. Even so, the age gap has some folks wondering about the couple's future. Malia turned 25 on July 4, 2023, while Eklund was 34.
Who is Dawit Eklund?
Much of Malia Obama and Dawit Eklund's relationship has been kept under wraps. As a result, how and when the romance began and whether it's still going strong is unclear. The pair was spotted together multiple times in 2022, starting in August when they were photographed walking together in Los Angeles.
By this point, Eklund had already made a name for himself in the music industry. In 2016, a profile from The Washington Post detailed Eklund's career as a dance music producer and touted his international style. That same year, Eklund told the outlet, "Ethiopian music is super distinct," adding, "I think there are a lot of misconceptions still about music that comes out of Africa in general. I don't know how exactly people listen to my music, but I would most certainly love it if it was organic without any stereotypical thoughts in the back of their minds."
Besides their big Hollywood dreams, Malia and Eklund also have something else in common –– their fathers' high-powered careers. Dawit's father, Jon Eklund, is a former State Department officer who spent time in U.S. embassies in Africa. While Dawit's father is American, his mother is Ethiopian. Malia's father, former U.S. President Barack Obama, also has one American and one African parent.
Malia Obama's dating history
In 2023, it's unclear whether Malia Obama is still linked with Dawit Eklund or whether the pair have parted ways. In September 2023, Malia was spotted with rapper Animé, which sparked new romance rumors. Still, nothing has been confirmed regarding Malia's relationship status since those first photos with Eklund surfaced.
While Malia may be young, Eklund wasn't her first beau. While attending Harvard University, the former First Daughter was in a relationship with classmate Rory Farquharson. Photographs emerged of the pair kissing after a school football game in 2017, and they were still going strong by 2020. The Obama family even took Farquharson in during the COVID-19 lockdown. "He's British, wonderful young man, and he was sort of stuck because there was a whole visa thing and he had a job set up," Barack Obama explained on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," So, we took him in, and I didn't want to like him, but he's a good kid," the former President joked. And, while the public may not know exactly who the former First Daughter is dating these days, their famous parents are fully supporting them. "They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now, they are bringing grown men home," Michelle Obama joked on The Ellen Degeneres Show in 2022, per Life & Style magazine. She added, "Before, it was just, like, pop bands. Now, they have boyfriends and real lives."