Fans had split opinions on Malia Obama’s decision to go by Malia Ann, and not use Barack Obama’s last name for her short film. “Malia Obama is a good filmmaker but she’s ditching her last name. Sometimes having a recognizable political name is a disadvantage outside of politics,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Others, meanwhile, believed it was a futile effort. “Obama’s daughter trying to sneak past Nepo baby discourse by not using her last name,” another X user mused.
The conversation surrounding Malia’s name change sparked debate on an episode of “The View.” Whoopi Goldberg came to the defense of the former first daughter. “Leave this child alone … Why do you care what she calls herself?” Goldberg said on February 21 (via The Mirror). Viewers watching the talk show chimed in online. “Let Malia Obama have a stage name if she wants to. It’s not a problem,” a fan tweeted.
This may have been the first time Malia went by a different name, but it was not her first foray into Hollywood, as she’d already worked as a writer on the Amazon Prime series “Swarm.” The series’ showrunner, Janine Nabers, had high praise for Malia, who wrote an episode titled “Girl, Bye.” “Some of her pitches were wild as hell, and they were just so good and so funny,” Nabers told Entertainment Tonight in March 2023. “She’s an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the table.” Malia’s television writing was later discussed by her father.
