Michelle Obama explains why she skipped Donald Trump's inauguration

Former first lady Michelle Obama has addressed why she didn’t attend the inauguration of Donald Trump back in January.

While her husband, the former US president Barack Obama, attended the inauguration, his wife Michelle was a notable absentee, sparking rumours about their marriage being on the rocks.

Now, in the latest episode of her podcast, IMO With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson she finally discussed it with her co-host brother Robinson and guest, the actor Taraji P. Henson.

Obama revealed that her lack of attendance was not due to marital issues, but due to her setting boundaries for herself and not simply doing what was expected of her.

“People couldn’t believe that I was saying no for any other reason, they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart,” said Michelle Obama.

“It took everything in my power to not do the thing that was ‘right’, or that was perceived as ‘right’, but do the thing that was right for me. That was a hard thing for me to do.”

Fearing that she may bow to pressure at the last minute, she put a plan in place to make sure she stuck to her guns.

“It started with not having anything to wear,” she explained. “I was like, if I’m not going to do this thing, I got to tell my team, I don’t even want to have a dress ready, right? Because it’s so easy to just say let me do the right thing.”

People praised Obama for her stance and for prioritising making a choice for her own well-being.

“You are setting an example for us and we are paying attention. Your agency matters. Which means ours does too,” one fan commented.

Another said: “You are absolutely right that ‘No’ is a full sentence. It does not require an explanation. It is simply no.”

Someone else wrote: “I was so happy and proud she didn’t go. At some point we can’t just keep doing the safe thing.”

One person said: “God forbid a woman says ‘No’. It’s so foreign to the world! I love how much women have been speaking up and standing up for themselves!!! Love us!”

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