Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 10:04 04 Jun 2026 GMT
Despite growing up in the White House and brushing shoulders with the biggest names in the entertainment industry, the daughter of a former US President and First Lady refuses to use the perks to accelerate her career.
Malia Obama, the eldest daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama, is so desperate to avoid being labelled a “nepo-baby” that she will not even invite her distinguished parents to milestone celebrations or industry events.
A collaboration with acclaimed actor and filmmaker Donald Glover and the 2023 directorial debut of her short film, The Heart, are just two credits on Malia’s already impressive resume.
Professionally, the daughter of the 44th US president goes by “Malia Ann” to prevent people from immediately making the connection to her influential family.
In the latest episode of her mom’s podcast, IMO, in which Michelle interviewed Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg, it was revealed that the 27-year-old aspiring filmmaker has no intention to use her family’s famous friends to get herself into the right rooms.
The former first lady and author told Spielberg that her daughter “will never invite us to anything that she does”.
“You know, she doesn't want us around her stuff", Michelle added.
The conversation on the podcast revealed just how chummy the Obamas are with award-winning director Spielberg, in turn proving Malia’s resilience at passing up a networking opportunity that filmmakers across the world would auction off their limbs for.
Teasing the Jurassic Park director, Michelle said, "My husband is a bully to you when it comes to your movies. I always reprimand him... because you haven't let him see [your latest film] and he's very mad about that."
The multi-Academy Award winner replied, "Yeah, he said if he wasn't among the first to see it, he was going to watch it only on an iPhone."
Laughing, Michelle continued, "Which he knows would irritate you".
Spielberg quipped back: "And he said he wouldn't watch it horizontally, he'd only watch it vertically."
Explaining that the admiration and affection go both ways between the director and former president, Spielberg described what happened when he showed Obama around a movie set.
"It was great. It was, of course, for my cast, it was a bit of a religious experience because in walks this iconic president who comes onto our set," he told Obama’s wife.
"To me, he's a good friend, to all of us, we know each other so well.
"But on set, the kids didn't know Barack except from what he's done for the world and who he represents."
Spielberg ended his anecdote with: "They were just absolutely - and I have a very extroverted cast - you could hear a pin drop when he walked in. They didn't know what to say. I didn't tell all of them, I told some of them, but not all of them."
