![EXCLUSIVE: Former First Lady Michelle Obama steps out with friends Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa at celebrity restaurant Polo Bar in New York City. The two families have been friends since The Boss campaigned for Barack Obama during his successful run for the White House in 2008. Michelle famously told her President husband he needed to spend more time with Springsteen. Both men have talked about their friendship — fortified in part by the bond between their wives, Michelle and Patti. In the first episode of a podcast, called Renegades, Obama, 59, said he and Springsteen, 71, "grew to trust each other" based on conversations in which they reflected on feeling "invisible" throughout their childhoods. Springsteen sang with a gospel choir at the newly elected president's inauguration in 2009 and later recalled how he thought Obama had the wrong number the first time the Chicago Democrat called him. "And I said, 'OK, let me figure this out. I am a guitar-playing high school graduate from Freehold, New Jersey. And — OK — you want me to do what?" Springsteen said. Over the years, both have realized they had more in common than they initially realized. Namely, that they both felt like outsiders. "I always kept one foot in sort of the blue collar world and one foot in the counter culture world," Springsteen said of growing up in New Jersey. "And I never truly belonged completely in either of them, you know?". 28 Sep 2022 Pictured: Michelle Obama. Photo credit: ZapatA/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA902427_026.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/michelle-obama-nyc-mega.jpg?fit=293%2C440)
Even the former First Lady needs a strong girl squad by her side. Michelle Obama, 56, expressed the importance of friendship — especially during this unforeseen time in America — in a new post on Instagram on Sunday night. She admitted that her girlfriends, Kelly Dibble, Sharon Malone, and Denielle Pemberton-Heard have been a solid support system for her throughout the coronavirus pandemic and the continued fight for racial justice. Michelle, who rocked gorgeous natural curls, tagged all three women in her post, which also included an unidentified fourth friend.
“Time and again, these past few months have shown us how important it is to maintain and strengthen our friendships,” she wrote in the captioned of her post. “Not only are we all navigating life during a pandemic, but we’re also dealing with an unending string of racial injustices reverberating throughout America.”
The Becoming author continued, “I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve leaned on my girlfriends during these moments — including right now. It’s so important to lean on those closest to you to sort through these difficult moments,” she explained before asking her 41 million Instagram followers: “How are your friends helping you get through this time?”
The former First Lady recently expressed her “exhaustion and frustration” for racial injustices after the police shooting that left Jacob Blake paralyzed in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 23. Blake was shot seven times in the back by a White police officer, as seen in video footage from the incident.
The mother of two ended her post with the hashtag, “#MichelleObamaPodcast” — presumably hinting at the topic of her next episode. She launched The Michelle Obama Podcast, which focuses on meaningful relationships and conversations with friends and family, at the end of July. The podcast came to life through her production company with former President Barack Obama, Higher Ground, in conjunction with Spotify.
Michelle’s close friend, Dr. Sharon Malone, MD (mentioned above), was a recent guest on her podcast. The BFFs discussed everything about women’s health — from menopause, to aging and many more relatable topics. Malone, who is an obstetrics and gynecology specialist in Washington, is married to former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder. Other guests who will join Michelle on her podcast, include: Marian and Craig Robinson, Michelle’s mother and brother, late-night host Conan O’Brien, journalist Michele Norris and more.