Malia and Sasha Obama made a rare public appearance at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday, June 18, alongside their parents, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
The presidential daughters, nearly a decade removed from the White House, appeared on stage alongside their parents at the star-studded grand opening of the sprawling South Side Chicago complex, which includes a museum, multiple concert and event venues, public park space, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.
The Obama daughters have largely avoided the public eye since their family left the White House, popping up on their parents’ Instagrams for birthdays and holidays.
They’ve only occasionally appeared at major events alongside their parents — as Sasha, 25, did at the NBA All Star Game in February in Inglewood, Calif., at the home arena of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Malia, 27, has pursued a career in the film industry and has made sporadic appearances on red carpets as she’s collaborated on projects with Donald Glover, including the Amazon Prime show Swarm and her short film directorial debut, The Heart, starring Tunde Adebimpe.
The Heart, the 18-minute short that Malia directed under the name Malia Ann, was featured at major film festivals, including the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, and the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
“The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in those things,” Malia said in 2024, describing her film. “We hope you enjoy the film and it makes you feel a bit less lonely, or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are.”
In September 2024, she walked the red carpet at the 50th annual Deauville American Film Festival in France, where she was awarded “the Young Spirit Award” for The Heart.
Malia and Sasha were 10 and 7, respectively, when their father won the White House in 2008, and 18 and 15, respectively, when he left office in January 2017.
Sasha was the youngest child of a president to live in the White House since John F. Kennedy Jr. was an infant when his father became president in 1961.
Barack, 64, posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Michelle, 62, and Sasha from the NBA All-Star Game for his youngest daughter’s 25th birthday last week.
“Happy birthday, Sasha! Can’t believe you’re 25 — time really does fly. It’s been such a joy watching you become the woman you are today,” the former president wrote.
In June 2024, at the infamous Los Angeles fundraiser for then-President Joe Biden shortly before he was forced to drop out of the presidential race, Barack told his former vice president and emcee Jimmy Kimmel that Michelle “drilled into them so early that you would be crazy to go into politics.”
“It’ll never happen,” their father said, adding that his daughters are “powerful young women.”
