Did Barack Obama Have An Affair With Jennifer Aniston? Inside The Viral Rumors

Former President Barack Obama has been married to Michelle Obama since 1992. Despite Michelle's father thinking their relationship wouldn't last, it has persisted through decades and two presidential terms. However, it hasn't been free from infidelity rumors. One of the most outlandish rumors to hit the Obamas' relationship was that Barack had an affair with "Friends" actor Jennifer Aniston. 

The hosts of the "Who? Weekly" pop culture podcast, Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger, seem to have contributed to the rumors. On their X, formerly known as Twitter, account in July 2024, they tweeted their surprise that In Touch Weekly published an article in their printed edition about the rumored affair and quoted Weber from a Patreon-exclusive episode of the "Who? Weekly" podcast. The screenshot of the article quoted Weber as saying, "The goss is ... Michelle and Barack [Obama] are living separate lives, and Barack is f***ing Jennifer Aniston." Weber admitted it could definitely be speculation, but said the info was from "reliable sources." Seemingly impressed at their reach, "Who? Weekly" replied to their own tweet and said: "OK InTouch subscribes to our Patreon????????????????? when world exclusive... is you with an upside-down smiley face.

UHHHHHH did anyone look INSIDE that issue In Touch cuz pic.twitter.com/zaTXlSfiUp

— Who? Weekly (@whoweekly) July 27, 2024

Per PopCulture, the wild accusations about Aniston and Barack were confirmed false by In Touch Weekly — but the publication's story claimed Aniston and Barack were getting too platonically chummy for Michelle's liking.

According to PopCulture., one insider told In Touch Weekly how Jennifer Aniston and Barack Obama crossed paths: "With the election coming up in November, Jen has gotten very political, so she's found herself in Barack's world a lot lately." They also pointed out that Barack has been working in the entertainment industry, referring to his journey from U.S. president to Emmy winner through his and Michelle Obama's production company. The insider continued, "[Barack and Aniston] have found they have a lot in common — and are talking more and more."

On the supposed good friends, another source reportedly said, "They're friends for life." They claimed Michelle wasn't happy about it because, "Jen is stealing her husband's attention. But she also trusts Barack." None of those claims were confirmed, and a spokesperson for Aniston disputed them.

The representative for Aniston — who didn't open up about her divorce from Brad Pitt for almost twenty years — said the reports about her and Barack being close friends are untrue. They said Aniston is a fan of Barack's but isn't friends with him. It seems to be true that Aniston is a supporter, since Open Secrets shows she donated money to Barack's campaign in 2007 and 2008.

Despite picking up steam in 2024, the Barack Obama and Jennifer Aniston affair rumors have a decade-long history. However, when they were first touted, they weren't written to be serious. The Economist published an article in 2014 titled "La Maison Blanche" (French for "The White House").  The article was meant to be a satirical piece, with the subheading, "Our wildest fantasy: if only the French ran America ... " 

When X users began buzzing about the Barack/Aniston rumors a decade later, one user shared a screenshot from The Economist article, which also imagined that Barack was previously in a relationship with Hillary Clinton and Katie Couric (who was supposedly devastated by the news of Barack's relationship with Aniston).

Despite the hubbub about Aniston and Barack having a close relationship (platonic or otherwise) being fictional, they were both featured in an anti-gun violence PSA in 2015, according to People. And the Daily Mail reported that Aniston and Michelle Obama both have attended the same kind of Pilates class. If the women ever cross paths during a workout, they'll likely have a good laugh about tabloid rumors.