Former First Lady Michelle Obama expressed her support for her daughter Malia's decision to drop the "Obama" surname in her professional endeavors. Malia, who recently wrote and directed a short film titled "The Heart," used her middle name, Ann, as her last name in the film credits. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024.

In a recent episode of the podcast "Sibling Revelry," hosted by actors Kate and Oliver Hudson, Michelle Obama discussed her daughters' journeys toward independence. "Our daughters [Malia and Sasha] are 25 and 23. They are young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away... [where] you're trying to distinguish yourself," she said.

Michelle emphasized the importance of her children feeling they have earned their achievements. "It is very important for my kids to feel like they've earned what they are getting in the world, and they don't want people to assume that they don't work hard, that they're just naturally, just handed things," she stated.

She added, "They're very sensitive to that -- they want to be their own people." Reflecting on Malia's choice to remove her last name, Michelle noted, "Malia, who started in film, I mean, her first project -- she took off her last name, and we were like, they're still going to know it's you, Malia. But we respected the fact that she's trying to make her way."

Michelle Obama also shared insights into how her daughters have come to understand their parents' experiences. "As they're older, I think they are embracing our parenting principles... They have a clearer understanding of why we did a lot of what we did," she said.

Barack Obama echoed his wife's sentiments in an October interview on "The Pivot Podcast." He recounted a conversation with Malia about her film. "You do know they'll know who you are," he told her. Malia responded, "I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association [with the Obama last name]."

Both parents have noted that their daughters actively seek to establish their own identities, separate from their famous lineage. Michelle's remarks come as she has begun to share more about her life in the White House and the challenges that followed. In an April episode of actress Sophia Bush's podcast "Work in Progress," she addressed rumors about her marriage, stating that societal expectations often pressure women to conform to certain roles.

"You know, that -- this couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right? But that's what society does to us," she said. Michelle emphasized the importance of self-discovery and the negative labeling that can occur when individuals do not fit societal stereotypes.