Michelle Obama reveals emotional reason why eldest daughter Malia changed her name

Earlier today it was revealed that Malia Obama - the eldest daughter of former presidential pair Barack and Michelle - had made the decision to drop her surname in public.

The move comes as the 26-year-old attempts to forge a career for herself in an industry worlds away from that of her parents.

Apparently, Malia has her heart set on Hollywood, and has spent several years attempting to break into entertainment.

Thankfully, her hard work paid off monumentally last year, and a short film she both wrote and directed - titled The Heart - premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Malia's name appeared in the credits - but with a twist.

As opposed to going by 'Obama', she was simply titled 'Malia Ann', using her middle name instead. But why?

The 26-year-old goes by 'Malia Ann' (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Well, according to mum Michelle, 61, the move forms part of Malia and her youngest daughter Sacha's attempt to 'push away' from the political connotations of the surname.

Speaking on Kate and Oliver Hudson’s podcast 'Sibling Revelry' earlier this week, she discussed the pair's difficulty living a 'normal' life during their pinnacle teenage years due to their father's position.

"Our daughters are 26 and 23," Michelle explained. "They are young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away. They're still doing that."

She went on to tell the pod's presenters (who, themselves, are the children of singer Bill Hudson and actress Goldie Hawn): "You guys know this as the children of parents who are known - it is very important for my kids to feel like they've earned what they are getting in the world.

"And they don't want people to assume that they don't work hard, that they're just naturally, just handed things."

Michelle discussed her daughters' name change (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

The mother-of-two went on to add that her daughters are 'very sensitive to that', and 'want to be their own people'."

"But we respected the fact that she's trying to make her way."

Michelle went on to confess, however, that her and Barack's initial response to their daughter's news was to issue her an eight-word piece of advice: "They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia."

This isn't the first time that the Obamas have discussed the intense pressure that was previously placed onto Malia and Sacha, who were just 10 and seven the first time their father was inaugurated into the White House.

The pair remained at the presidential residence until they turned 18 and 15, having grown up in a limelight that often had its major downsides.

"They complained about Secret Service as they became teenagers," Barack, 63, told ABC News back in 2017.

"But as you might imagine, if you're a teenager having a couple of people with microphones and guns always following you around, that could grate on them."

Barack previously discussed the impact that growing up in the spotlight would have had on Malia and Sacha (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)t

The Democrat continued: "But they've handled it with grace, and I give Michelle most of the credit for how well they've done."

Four years later, during an appearance on The Late Late Show, he also discussed the impact that high-profile security had had on his daughters' upbringing.

"They still have PTSD from guys talking into their wrist microphones and glasses as they're trying to go to a music concert," Barack joked.

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