Barack Obama shared his thoughts on his daughter Malia's decision to omit her last name in a professional context. The 26-year-old director chose not to use 'Obama' for her directorial debut, a move that her 63-year-old father revealed he had cautioned her about. "Her first film went to Sundance and various prestigious film festivals, but she didn't use 'Obama' in the credits," Barack explained during an episode of the 'Pivot' podcast.
"I told her, 'You know they'll figure out who you are.'" Malia aimed for viewers to watch her film, 'The Heart,' without any preconceived notions about her family background. "She wanted them to watch it for the first time without any association," Barack continued. The former president acknowledged that neither of his daughters, including Sasha, 23, are keen on leveraging their family name.
"Our daughters deliberately avoid using their family name to gain advantage," Barack noted. "The challenge for us is to offer any assistance without them feeling uncomfortable. They are very particular about this." When Malia credited herself as 'Malia Ann' for her directorial debut in February, critics on social media expressed mixed reactions. Some were critical of her attempt to distance herself from her parents, Barack and Michelle, 60, despite having lived in the White House during her father's presidency from 2009 to 2017.
"Nepo baby strikes again," one critic tweeted. "Obama's daughter trying to avoid the nepo baby discussion by not using her last name. But she's still Obama's daughter." Another commenter pointed out Malia's career trajectory, including internships and writing credits, questioning her rapid success. However, 'The View' co-host Whoopi Goldberg defended Malia, questioning why people were concerned about her choice of name.
"If she knows she's an Obama, why do you care? Why does it matter what she calls herself?" Goldberg asked. "If she wants to call herself Jeanette MacDonald, she has every right to! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever she wants to be!"
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