Former First Lady Michelle Obama has opened up about her relationship with former President Barack Obama, sharing insight into their long-term marriage, how they were criticized in the White House, and their efforts to keep their relationship alive.

In a recent interview with People, Michelle addressed public gossip about her marriage and life post-president. "When the Obamas lived in the White House, the couple received a little criticism about their looks and fashion, but they brushed it off with ease," she said.

"I took it for what it was, pure hypocrisy," said Michelle. "I could pull up pictures of Jackie O in a second and see this fashion icon in sleeveless dresses as first lady. So at a point you're like, 'Oh, this is politics. If you can't beat them, make everybody scared of them.' That was the motto. If it wasn't the clothes, it was 'that terrorist fist bump.' It was every word that we said."

She also remembered the press chaos over Barack Obama's now-famous tan suit. "When he had it on, I was like, 'Oh, my God, you look so cute,'" she chuckled. "Then I was like, 'Oh, you got clocked for that one. Welcome to my world.' That was towards the end of his presidency, so we were used to all the crazy issues that people would take with us."

Looking back at their marriage, Michelle explained how they spent quality time together, as reported by Stylecaster. "We've been married 32, 33 [years]... I always forget. Sorry, honey," she teased. "When we're both happy about date night, we're at home. We are not getting dressed. We just have a nice dinner, candles lit, music, we talk."

She said they usually refrain from talking before their dates to preserve the evening. "We don't talk for the whole day, because we're in the house together all day," Michelle stated. "So when we are going to have a really special night, it's like, 'Don't talk to me. Save it for dinner.'"

According to Yahoo Entertainment, the Becoming writer also broke down about her long-standing marriage gossip after she missed Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration. "People couldn't believe that I was saying no for any other reason, that they had to assume that my marriage was falling apart," she stated.

Talking on NPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin, Michelle further said, "It's like, OK, so we don't Instagram every minute of our lives. We are 60. We're 60, y'all. You just are not gonna know what we're doing every minute of the day."