Craig Robinson’s Surprising Prediction About Michelle and Barack Obama’s Marriage

• Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother, confessed that he initially believed she and her husband Barack Obama would last “about a month” when they first began dating.
• “Mich starts to date Barack, and we don’t know who this guy is. We’re thinking, ‘Barack? Who has a name like Barack?’” Robinson shared on the siblings’ new podcast, IMO.
• The Obamas have been married for over 32 years and have two daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23.

Craig Robinson never imagined he would become Barack Obama’s brother-in-law. As Michelle’s older brother, Robinson, 62, acknowledged that at their first meeting, he doubted Barack was committed for the long haul.

“When Mich started dating Barack, we had no idea who he was. We were thinking, ‘Barack? Who has a name like Barack?’” Robinson recounted on the IMO podcast on April 16. “I figured it would only last about a month, like most of her relationships.”

Michelle disagreed with her brother’s initial assessment, stating, “That’s not true. I had several long-term boyfriends before Barack.”

The siblings struggled to reach a consensus on Michelle’s dating history before meeting Barack.

“I remember our mom’s first comment was, ‘At least he’s tall.’ Mich usually dated shorter guys,” Robinson noted about the future first lady, who stands at 5’11”. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, too bad it won’t last.’”

Robinson also reflected on a lesson from their father regarding basketball, suggesting that a person’s character could be revealed through their gameplay. When he took Barack, 63, for a pickup game at Michelle’s request, he observed closely.

“We obviously had a great time playing. What I learned, besides the fact that he is left-handed and struggles to go right, is that he was a team player,” Robinson shared. “He fit in well with everyone, so I could confidently report back that all was well, and the rest is history.”

The couple married in October 1992 and welcomed daughters Malia and Sasha into their family.

Michelle revealed that Barack stopped playing pickup basketball during his presidency after injuring his lip, requiring stitches.

“Barack put his basketball shoes away after he busted his lip during a pickup game in the White House,” she explained. “He needed more than 30 stitches… He had a major speech coming up on Monday after getting injured on Saturday. I told him, ‘You’re playing like you’re 10, and now look what happened to your lip!’”

Even though Barack no longer plays basketball, he still knows how to impress. For Valentine’s Day this year, he shared a heartfelt tribute to Michelle, saying, “Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentine’s Day, @MichelleObama!”

Michelle recently addressed how her journey toward independence led to scrutiny and speculation about her marriage to Barack.

“That’s what we as women often face — the fear of disappointing people. This year, people couldn’t even consider that I was making a choice for myself. They assumed my husband and I were separating,” Michelle remarked in an iHeartRadio podcast, Work in Progress. “Society struggles to accept that a grown woman can make decisions for herself.”