What Sasha And Malia Obama Can't Stand About Fame

When your parent becomes the president of the United States, you'll be launched into the spotlight whether you like it or not. This was certainly the case for Malia and Sasha Obama. When Barack Obama was sworn in as president in 2009, his daughters were 10 and 7, respectively. Malia and Sasha Obama spent their formative years living in the White House, and as such, they grew up in the spotlight. Yet, it's how the spotlight is affecting them as adults that bothers them more.

In October 2024, Barack appeared on "The Pivot Podcast" and opened up about his daughters' transitions into adulthood. "There's been some paparazzi stuff going on, and it drives them nuts," he explained. According to the former president, fame isn't something Malia and Sasha are interested in, saying, "their attitude is, 'We're not looking for all that.'" In fact, it seems that the Obama sisters don't want anything that comes along with fame — even the perks. Malia is pursuing a career in the film industry as a writer and director. She made her directorial debut with the 2023 short film, "The Heart." In the credits for the film, she went by Malia Ann — swapping her last name for her middle name. Barack had warned Malia that everyone would still know who she was, but he shared that she wanted audiences to "not in any way have that association." He added that she and Sasha "go out of their way to not try to leverage that."

A life of fame certainly isn't for everyone, and Malia and Sasha Obama clearly fall into this category. Yet, from Sasha and Malia's most controversial moments caught on camera to the endless interest in the Obama sisters' relationship history, the former first daughters simply cannot escape public scrutiny. Interestingly, when Barack Obama was in office, it was actually easier for Malia and Sasha to avoid attention from the paparazzi. "Growing up, the press was pretty good," Barack explained during his interview. According to Barack, "I basically made a deal with ... the White House press corps. I said, 'You can follow me around. You can talk about me. You do whatever you need to do. Leave my children alone because they have the right to grow up. They didn't choose this. Let them grow up.' And to the credit of the press, they did leave them alone."

That said, now that his daughters have grown up, the deal he made with the press no longer persists. However, that doesn't stop the Obamas from trying to keep the paparazzi out of their daughters' business. In 2022, Michelle Obama told People about her desire for the media to leave her daughters alone. "How much do I tell so that the media understands that my girls are not asking to be in the limelight? They are not social media stars," she asserted. "And I hope the media hears me when I am saying this."