How Barack Obama really feels about daughter Malia’s decision to drop her last name professionally

Barack Obama shared his reaction to his daughter Malia dropping her last name for her directorial debut.

The former president said he warned her that dropping her name wouldn’t hide her connection to her famous parents.

“Her first film went to Sundance and all these fancy film festivals and she didn’t use Obama as a director on the credits,” he said during Tuesday’s episode of the “Pivot” podcast.

“I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are.'”

Barack Obama appeared on Tuesday’s episode of the “Pivot” podcast and talked about his daughters. The former president shared his reaction to his daughter Malia choosing to drop her last name professionally.

He then explained that Malia wanted audiences to watch her film, “The Heart,” without having the Obama family connection in mind.

“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,'” Barack, 63, said.

The proud father of two – who also shares daughter Sasha, 23, with wife Michelle Obama — further explained that his girls aren’t interested in using their status to get ahead.

“I think our daughters go out of their way to not try to leverage that,” he said.

“Her first film went to Sundance and all these fancy film festivals and she didn’t use Obama as a director on the credits,” he said. “I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are,'” the father of two told her. Reynaud Julien/APS-Medias/ABACA/Shutterstock

The “A Promised Land” author also said his daughters don’t want him or Michelle, 60, to give them a leg up in their careers.

“The challenge for us is letting us give them any help at all,” Barack said. “I mean they’re very sensitive about this stuff. They’re very stubborn about it.”

The “View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg came to Malia’s defense earlier this year after the 26-year-old credited herself as “Malia Ann” for her directorial debut.

“Apparently some folks online are criticizing her for it, claiming everyone knows she’s an Obama, so it’s pointless to hide it,” Goldberg, 68, said on the talk show in February.

Malia told her father that she wanted audiences to watch the film and “not in any way have that association” to her famous last name. ZUMAPRESS.com Barack — who also shares daughter Sasha with wife Michelle Obama — said his daughters “go out of their way to not try to leverage” their status. AP

“If she knows she’s an Obama, why do you care? Why do you care what she calls herself?” she continued.

“If she wanted to call herself Jeanette MacDonald, she has the right to! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever the hell she wants to be!”

Malia most recently made a red carpet appearance at the Deauville American Film Festival in September to promote the short film.

Malia made her directorial debut with her short film, “The Heart,” which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January. Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic She also promoted the project at France’s Deauville American Film Festival in September. AFP via Getty Images

She rocked a plaid Vivienne Westwood ensemble that consisted of the brand’s Sunday corset and an asymmetrical maxi skirt.

Malia accessorized the look with black knee-high leather boots and hoop earrings.

While on the red carpet at the event, she admitted she doesn’t “know as much about fashion” but was “happy to be wearing” the designer outfit.