Malia Obama

Malia Obama. Malia Ann Obama is an American media personality and writer, known as the elder daughter of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. Her childhood and adolescence spent in the White House during her father's presidency from 2009 to 2017 made her and her sister Sasha Obama prominent figures in the American public eye. She has since pursued a career in the entertainment industry, working as a writer and producer in Hollywood.

Early life and education

Malia Ann Obama was born on July 4, 1998, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Barack Obama, then a state senator, and Michelle Obama, a hospital administrator. Her early childhood was spent in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, where she attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Following her father's election to the United States Senate in 2004, the family moved to Washington, D.C., though they maintained their home in Chicago. After Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 United States presidential election, the family relocated to the White House, where Malia and her sister became the youngest residents since the Kennedy family in the early 1960s. She attended the prestigious Sidwell Friends School, a private Quaker institution in Washington, D.C., which has educated the children of many political figures, including those of President Bill Clinton. Upon graduating from Sidwell Friends in 2016, she took a gap year, during which she completed an internship with the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and worked on the set of the CBS series *Extant*. She subsequently enrolled at Harvard University in the fall of 2017, following in the footsteps of both her parents, who are graduates of Harvard Law School. At Harvard, she studied visual and environmental studies and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2021.

Career

Following her graduation from Harvard University, Malia Obama embarked on a career in the entertainment industry. She initially gained experience as a production assistant on the set of the Amazon Studios series *The Wilds*. She then secured a position as a writer for the Sundance-premiering short film *The Heart*, which was directed by Michele Civetta. Her most significant career breakthrough came when she was hired as a writer for the acclaimed HBO series *The Gilded Age*, created by Julian Fellowes. She has also worked as a staff writer on the Donald Glover-helmed Amazon Prime Video series, a project that was initially reported to be a reboot of the film *Mr. & Mrs. Smith* but evolved into a new iteration. In 2024, it was announced that she had signed a multi-year overall deal with the production company CAA-backed FilmNation Entertainment to develop and produce original content for film and television, marking a significant step into producing.

Public image and media portrayal

From the moment her father announced his presidential campaign in 2007, Malia Obama became a subject of intense media scrutiny, often photographed alongside her family at events like the 2008 Democratic National Convention and the 2009 presidential inauguration. During the Obama administration, she and her sister were frequently covered by outlets like *The New York Times* and *People* magazine, with the White House carefully managing their privacy. Her public appearances, such as attending NBA Finals games or the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, consistently generated widespread media attention. As she transitioned into adulthood, media coverage shifted to focus on her academic path at Harvard University and her professional pursuits in Hollywood. Her entry into the film and television industry has been noted by major publications including *Variety* and *The Hollywood Reporter*, often framing her as part of a new generation of creators. Her public image has been largely defined by a sense of normalcy and privacy maintained by her family, contrasting with the inevitable spotlight of her unique upbringing.

Personal life

Malia Obama maintains a notably private personal life, especially following her family's departure from the White House in 2017. She resides in Los Angeles, where she is actively building her career in the entertainment industry. She is known to have a close relationship with her immediate family, including her sister Sasha Obama, who attended the University of Southern California, and her parents, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, with whom she is often seen at family gatherings and public events like the 2022 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Her grandmother, Marian Shields Robinson, lived with the family in the White House and was a significant figure in her childhood. While specific details of her personal relationships are kept out of the public domain, she has been occasionally photographed with friends in social settings in Los Angeles and was reported to have attended the 2023 Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.