Why my daughter dropped her last name —Barack Obama

The former president of the United States, Barack Obama, has shed light on a surprising and deeply personal choice made by his eldest daughter, Malia.

During an appearance on The Pivot podcast, hosted by former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder, Obama shared insights about Malia’s decision to exclude their famous last name ‘Obama’ in her filmmaking career, opting instead to go by Malia Ann.

Malia, now 26, made her mark in the entertainment industry as a staff writer for the Emmy-nominated Prime show Swarm and recently directed her first short film, The Heart, an 18-minute piece that premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

The film has since gained traction, earning the Young Spirit Award at the Deauville Film Festival in France and the Best Live Action Short prize at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Discussing his daughter’s move, Obama admitted on the podcast released to YouTube Saturday, “Malia, she’s making movies. So she made her first movie. And you know, I’ll be a dad, I’ll brag a little bit … her first film went to Sundance and all these fancy film festivals. And she didn’t use ‘Obama’ as director on the credits, it said ‘Malia Ann.’”

He added, “I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are.’ And she’s all like, ‘You know what? I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association.’”

Obama noted that this decision reflects a trend among children of public figures who wish to carve out identities separate from their famous parents.
Despite the former president’s pride, he noted, “The challenge for us is letting us give them any help at all. They’re very sensitive about this stuff. They’re very stubborn about it.”

Malia’s work has drawn both praise and scrutiny. At Sundance, some critics labelled her a “nepo baby,” shorthand for “nepotism baby,” pointing out that most emerging filmmakers don’t have the luxury of working with industry titans like Donald Glover, who collaborated with her on Swarm.

Reflecting on raising daughters in the spotlight, Obama recounted an agreement made during his presidency with the White House press pool: “I said, ‘You can follow me around. You can talk about me. You do whatever you need to do. Leave my children alone because they have the right to grow up. They didn’t choose this. Let them grow up.’”

He credited the press for respecting this, allowing Malia and her younger sister, Sasha, the opportunity to navigate their formative years relatively privately.
Despite this, he noted that as his daughters have matured, there has been increased public scrutiny.

“Now, as they’ve gotten older, there’s been some paparazzi stuff going on, and it drives them nuts. Their attitude is, ‘We’re not looking for all that.’ So they’re grounded.”
Malia and Barack Obama | USA Today

National Post on Monday reported that defenders argue that while Malia’s connections have undeniably opened doors, her talents have helped her step through them.
The Daily Beast underscored this conversation with a piece titled “Nepo Baby of the Week: Is Malia Obama’s Film Debut Any Good?” which offered a mixed review of The Heart: “It’s subtle, it’s somewhat strange, and its visuals are warm and lo-fi,” and concluded, “The Heart is not a bad film … it’s about what you’d expect from a young filmmaker.”

Meanwhile, The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan described it as “well-shot” and “a promising debut,” hinting at subtle nods in the closing credits: “You wouldn’t even suspect it came from a former first daughter, though in-the-know types might wonder if the ‘Steven and Kate’ thanked in the closing credits are Spielberg and Capshaw, a husband and wife who can ensure a well-connected debut.”

When asked whether he ever longed for the anonymity lost to fame, Obama reflected, “The thing I miss is just walking around and nobody knowing who you are. Like, you don’t realize what a benefit that is until you try it and suddenly you’ve got 100 people asking you for selfies and all that.” But with a characteristic dose of humility, he added, “That’s a high-class problem to have.”

In a lighthearted moment, he joked about the idea of disguising himself: “Put some dreadlocks on, get a beard, a moustache … but I can’t do it. Folks say, ‘Man, I’ve seen those ears before.’”

His wife, Michelle Obama, in past interviews, had been candid about the personal challenges she and Barack faced when starting their family.

In her memoir, she revealed that Malia and Sasha were conceived through in-vitro fertilisation.

Reactions to the Saturday YouTube post from the viewers acknowledged that this openness further underscored the family’s journey of balancing public life with personal narratives, one that Malia’s career path appears to be navigating in its own distinctive way.