What Life Is Like For The Obama Sisters Today

The Obama sisters, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama, had a childhood most of us absolutely cannot relate to — growing up in the White House, dodging paparazzi, having Secret Service agents accompany them on dates; not to mention, you know, having a dad as president.

When it comes to the sisters' personal lives, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have kept details about them relatively private, but they also tend to stay under the radar themselves. However, Malia has been described as the "wise and thoughtful" one, with her parents shocked and impressed at her making her own bed and setting her own alarm by the first grade (via People), whereas Barack Obama described his youngest daughter Sasha as energetic and "the comedian in the family."

As the sisters grow up, it's clear that their unconventional upbringing hasn't turned them into spoiled, unrelatable princesses. Quite the opposite, actually; both seem to be living pretty normal lives, with Sasha attending college and Malia, a recent college graduate, working as a TV writer.

With a mom who went to Princeton and Harvard Law, and a dad who went to Columbia and Harvard Law, it doesn't come as a huge surprise that Malia Obama attended Harvard too — Ivy League education seems to run strong in the Obama family. But Harvard wasn't an instant choice. According to People, Malia toured other colleges like Princeton, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania before settling on Harvard. Her choice to attend the prestigious university was not pushed by her parents; in fact, Barack Obama supported Malia in choosing any school that offered a good education. "One piece of advice that I've given her [Malia] is not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college. ... There are a lot of good colleges and universities out there ... Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there," said Barack Obama (via People).

Malia graduated from Harvard in 2021 and got her degree in Visual and Environmental Studies. She kept her time at Harvard pretty private, but what we do know is that she was named a Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize winner, which awards undergraduates who excel in the art of teaching (via Biography).

Both Malia Obama and Sasha Obama were in college when the coronavirus pandemic emerged, and this meant they were unable to attend classes in person for a period of time. "My girls are studying from home," Michelle Obama said in a 2020 Instagram Live (via People). "We're itching to get back to campus, but things are just confusing ... not quite safe."

Despite missing out on some of the in-person college experience, the siblings seemed to have fun back at home during quarantine. "They were baking way too much at the beginning of quarantine, too many delicious pies. They were good at it!" Michelle Obama said about her daughters (via People).

The pandemic also allowed the sisters to spend some quality time with their family — something that Michelle couldn't be happier about. "This time has allowed us to get some stolen moments back with our girls, who were supposed to have emptied out of my nest," she said (via People). "I was celebrating that they were out building their lives and allowing me the emotional space to let them go. Well, they're back! It has been more enjoyable than either Barack or I could have imagined."

Twenty-one-year-old Sasha Obama has been dating former basketball player Clifton Powell Jr. since the two reportedly met after she transferred to the University of Southern California (via Us Weekly). The two were first photographed together in April 2022, but it's unclear exactly when they began seeing each other. Powell, who works as a writer and director, is the son of "Rush Hour" and "All Eyez on Me" actor Clifton Powell Sr.

Though both Sasha and Malia Obama have likely been dating for at least a few years at this point, it seems their parents are still getting used to it. On the "Ellen DeGeneres Show," Michelle Obama said: "They loved the Jonas Brothers ... Now they're bringing grown men home. Before it was just pop bands. Now they have boyfriends and real lives and all that stuff" (via The Cut). Although it may be bittersweet seeing her daughters all grown up, Michelle is happy that they're learning about what they want in a partner. "I think it's wonderful. I want them to know what they want and who they are in a relationship. And that takes trying on some people," she said in a "20/20" special with Robin Roberts (via Us Weekly).

Malia Obama was connected to her Harvard classmate Rory Farquharson since 2017, and the pair even quarantined together in 2020, according to Barack Obama (via the New York Post). "There was this whole visa thing, he had a job set up, and so we took him in," Obama said on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" about his daughter's boyfriend. "And I didn't want to like him, but he's a good kid."

However, it appears Malia and Farquharson split, since Malia has been linked to record producer Dawit Eklund. The two were first linked in July 2022, and numerous photographs show the pair hanging out in New York City and Los Angeles (via Page Six). Eklund is from Addis Ababa, but attended and graduated from George Washington University in D.C. These days, Eklund appears to focus on music; he co-founded the record label 1432 R, which focuses on electronic Ethiopian music.

It's unclear whether or not Malia's family has met Eklund, and due to the lack of photographed PDA between the pair, it's likely the couple is looking to keep their relationship as private as possible. After years of being in the public eye, it makes sense that Malia wants a bit of privacy.

Despite the stressors that come with being in the public eye, the Obamas appear to be a pretty close-knit family. One may assume that growing up in a place like the White House and living a prestigious lifestyle would spoil the siblings, but it appears that quite the opposite has happened. Reflecting on their time in the presidential home, Barack Obama said of his family (via People): "I think we came out of it whole. There were great joys in the White House. There was never a time where we didn't recognize what an extraordinary privilege it was to be there. Most importantly, our children emerged intact and they are wonderful, kind, thoughtful, creative — and not entitled — young women. So that's a big sigh of relief."

And even now that the sisters are older, it seems their bond with their parents remains strong. On birthdays and holidays, both Michelle and Barack post sentimental photos and captions expressing their love and support for their daughters. In a recent Instagram post, Barack Obama shared a snap of him and his family smiling together and wrote: "Merry Christmas, everybody! One of the best parts of the holiday season is getting to spend time with the special people in our lives."

Additionally, the fact that the sisters invited their parents to hang out over "martinis" and "charcuterie" at their apartment is a pretty good sign that they're still close to Mom and Dad.