Courtesy of WW, George Burns(NEW YORK) — Oprah Winfrey brought out former first lady, Michelle Obama, during the fifth stop of her 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour with WW on Saturday, and it’s safe to say, Mrs. Obama has been “living her best life” since the White House.
“It is so good, y’all,” Obama laughed. “No, it is really good,” she said playfully to the sold out crowd at Barclays Center on Saturday when asked about her life with her husband, former President Barack Obama, now that the two have officially become empty nesters. Both of their daughters, Sasha, 18, and Malia, 21, are currently in college and away from home.
In the hour-long chat, which centered around wellness and self-care, Oprah was able to get the former first lady to open up about a variety of subjects including life after the White House, her relationship with Mr. Obama, and her thoughts on her best-selling memoir, Becoming, which has sold more than 11.5 million units worldwide and recently won a Grammy Award.
“I was afraid no one would show up,” Mrs. Obama said, sharing some of her Becoming book tour concerns with Winfrey. During that time, Mrs. Obama questioned if she was truly “likable” and if people would actually come out to support her.
“They called me angry,” she added, referring to some of the criticism she endured during her time in the White House.
The crowd of 15,000, which included celebrity guests like Lupita Nyong’o, Niecy Nash, Hoda Kotb, Nate Berkus, Merle Dandridge and Winfrey’s BFF Gayle King, quickly countered Mrs. Obama’s moment of doubt with a loud applause and shouts of affirmation.
Now, Mrs. Obama admits she’s less concerned with what people think and more focused on “walking [her] walk” which includes empowering the next generation of leaders. She also talked about some of her superpowers, which include making young people feel “seen and heard” and her strong sense of empathy.
“I try very hard, even in these times, to understand what people are going through when they’re angry when they’re hateful or when they’re doing things that just don’t feel right,” Obama said. “I try to stand in their shoes and say there’s got to be a context that I can understand that helps me see how you see the world so I can connect with you on some level.”
Offering some words of wisdom, Mrs. Obama shared some important advice, which she said she also gave to her daughters before heading off to college.
“The House didn’t define us, its the value that defined us,” she said.
Oprah’s full interview with Mrs. Obama will air on Wednesday, February 12 at 8 p.m. ET as part of WW’s Wellness Wednesday Series on Oprah’s Facebook page.
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