Why Michelle Obama Was So Shocked When Brother Craig Robinson Announced His Divorce

Michelle Obama, and her brother, Craig Robinson have a tight-knit bond, which isn't really that surprising considering they're just over two years apart in age. "My brother Craig is someone who will always be there for me, someone who will lift my spirits, and keep me in check," the former first lady sweetly wrote in a 2020 Facebook post. "He's known me from the first breath I took — and that's a gift that has no parallel in my life." Despite their strong connection, though, Michelle was completely blindsided when Craig revealed that his first marriage, to Janis Robinson, had sadly come to an end. 

As Craig later clarified, his decision was intended to shield the people he loved. For starters, Craig hoped that he and Janis could overcome their relationship difficulties, eliminating the need for a divorce. In addition, Craig was concerned that if he shared his problems with Michelle or their mom, Marian Robinson, it might impact their opinion of Janis. "If I was sharing all of the bad stuff with the rest of my family, they would never get over it," he explained on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" in 2017, adding, "They'll never forgive your significant other [...] they will be madder than you eventually."

Craig also elaborated on this reasoning with Michelle because she was so incredulous that he'd kept so quiet about his struggles. Although Craig's divorce was finalized in 2000, the two siblings have revisited the topic over the years, including on their podcast, "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson." 

About a decade after his divorce, Craig Robinson published his memoir, "A Game of Character." In the book, Craig noted that in hindsight, he wished he'd changed his tight-lipped approach to dealing with his marital problems. "What I should have done, but didn't, was to talk to someone, anyone, about my concerns," he wrote. In 2025, Craig and his younger sister Michelle Obama delved into this topic on "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson," the mission of which is notably to discuss difficult topics, so naturally this situation fit perfectly. 

In one of the podcast's first episodes, Craig acknowledged that he regretted withholding info about the divorce from Michelle. He also resolved not to repeat this mistakes in the future. "She was so mad that I hadn't told her and so disappointed," Craig acknowledged on "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson." He elaborated, "I had never done that ever and haven't done it since." In response, the bestselling author described how the situation impacted their relationship, since she was understandably upset that her brother didn't confide in her. 

Michelle had a strong connection with Janis Robinson, Craig's first wife, as well as her brother. As a result, the former first lady experienced some dissonance between what she was observing and the reassuring responses her brother was providing about his clearly troubled marriage. Michelle also disagreed with Craig's attempt to conceal the tragic truth. "Even though you think I wouldn't have been able to handle it, I would have gotten myself together to give you sound advice and be able to stay neutral," Michelle declared as a future reassurance to him.