Malia Obama, the eldest daughter of former US President Barack Obama, is known for consistently crafting her own path in the entertainment industry. While her sister Sasha has chosen a relatively private life and career, Malia has opted for the limelight as she steps into a career in screenwriting and filmmaking.
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The 26-year-old filmmaker released her debut short film, The Heart, at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. After the release, Malia made headlines not just for her work but for the massive decision she took to release the film. Malia decided to drop her surname ‘Obama’ from the credits and simply went by her first and middle name - Malia Ann.
Barack Obama reveals why her daughter Malia dropped her surname
Reportedly, she made the decision to drop her surname to disassociate herself from the ‘Obama brand.’ Barack Obama—who recently made a controversial statement about Trump—reportedly told Malia that dropping the surname wouldn’t change how people perceive her or her work.
Speaking on thePivot podcast, Obama joked about his daughter’s ‘stubbornness,’ reports Page Six. He acknowledged that she, along with her sister Sasha, make intentional efforts to avoid ‘leveraging’ their family status. Obama 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. I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are.'
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.'
Obama explained that both his daughters dislike using their family name. He said:
The challenge for us is letting us give them any help at all. I mean they’re very sensitive about this stuff. They’re very stubborn about it.
Internet reacts to Malia’s decision
Regardless of her intentions, the choice quickly drew attention as some online commenters labeled her as a ‘nepo baby.’ According to MailOnline, many people have mocked her decision as they claim everybody still knows she comes from ‘Obama’ privilege.
One said:
It's still nepotism
Another two chimed in:
Obama's daughter trying to sneak past nepo baby discourse by not using her last name. Bro you are Obama's daughter
Like if you wanna be a filmmaker that's cool but we all know who you are, you're Obama's daughter. You can't hide that.
A fourth added:
Calling yourself "Malia Ann" is not going to avert any Nepo Baby criticisms, Miss Former First Daughter
Meanwhile many also came in Malia’s support and adored her choice of trying to make her own path in the industry. One said:
I'm so proud of Malia. I noticed she's also going by her middle name. It's amazing to see people create their own lane. I'm sure she will be a great storyteller.
Actress Whoopi Goldberg also took her side and stated:
Apparently some folks online are criticizing her for it, claiming everyone knows she's an Obama, so it's pointless to hide it.
If she knows she's an Obama, why do you care? Why do you care what she calls herself? 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!
Read more:
Obama proposed twice to a woman he continued to see while dating Michelle, here's what we know
Michelle Obama once revealed she 'couldn't stand' Barack for 10 years, here's why
Sources used:
Page Six: How Barack Obama really feels about daughter Malia’s decision to drop her last name professionally
MailOnline: Malia Obama is mocked for dropping her surname on first movie credit
