Inside Michelle Obama's Friendship With Kathleen Biden

In "The Light We Carry," by Michelle Obama, the former FLOTUS was pretty clear on how much she valued friendships, explaining that she took great care to make and keep friends. The mother of two wrote, "I am a dedicated planner of group outings, getaway weekends, tennis dates, and one-on-one walks along the Potomac River."

One friend who often had "regular morning dates to walk by the river" with Michelle was Kathleen Biden, Hunter Biden's ex-wife. Michelle and Kathleen's friendship dates back to Barack Obama's 2009 to 2017 presidency. The women started off as exercise buddies, attending in-house workout classes like SoulCycle and Solidcore.

As their friendship progressed, they set out time to meet for drinks and dine at restaurants. They even accompanied each other on vacations with friends and family. This friendship undoubtedly helped Michelle through the tough years as the First Lady, but it wasn't a one-sided relationship. When Kathleen began to experience public marital troubles towards the end of the Obamas' tenure, her friendship with Michelle became a key tool for surviving the storm.  

Kathleen Biden's divorce from Hunter Biden in 2017 was exceptionally tough on her. Not only was her marriage ending after 23 years, but she was also subject to intense scrutiny due to the sordid and public details of Hunter's life. Luckily, Kathleen had Michelle Obama to rely on. Page Six called the former FLOTUS a "powerful shoulder to cry on" for Kathleen, adding that a source revealed Obama was one of her closest friends during that period.

The Obamas were also there for Kathleen after Hunter Biden's affair with his deceased brother's wife came to light. The Daily Mail reported that Kathleen and the Obamas were spotted on a ski vacation in Aspen that week. In 2022, when Kathleen released her book "If We Break: A Memoir of Marriage, Addiction, and Healing," she acknowledged Obama's help during the divorce. Kathleen tagged Obama an "invaluable friend and inspiration, helping me to own my past and my choices with honesty." Interestingly, both women used the same publisher, The Crown Publishing Group, when releasing their books. When the media frenzy around her life cooled, Kathleen was able to rebuild and reenter the dating scene.

Kathleen Biden was a member of the "annual mother-daughter ski weekends" Michelle Obama organized. These weekends included their children Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy Biden, as well as Malia and Sasha Obama. Kathleen and Michelle's relationship was also strengthened by a strong friendship between Maisy and Sasha. The girls were classmates at Sidwell Friends and played on the same basketball team. 

In 2015, the Chicago Tribute reported that Maisy and Sasha had attended the FIFA Women's World Cup finals in British Columbia. The duo also joined their mothers for a mother-daughter outing to a basketball match in which Sasha's cousin was playing. Sasha and Maisy even graduated from high school together in 2019 and had quite a party to celebrate, with both families present. A year later, The Hill reported that they were spotted dining together at Brasserie Liberté in Washington, D.C. Despite the trials of fame, it's heartwarming that Michelle and Kathleen have had their friendship to get them through tough times.