Michelle Obama opened up a little about her first serious relationship in her 2018 memoir, “Becoming,” but it turned out her ex-boyfriend had already spoken about their time together several years prior. No scandalous details here, though. Au contraire, he had nothing but good things to say.
David Upchurch’s comments came just over a month after Barack Obama’s inauguration, when he sat down with Enquirer. He told the outlet that he and Michelle had shared a childhood, having been neighbors while growing up. He also shared that he had a very close bond with her late father, Fraser Robinson, in particular (via The Telegraph). Eventually, he and Michelle became an item, and even went to prom together. However, it wasn’t to last. Upchurch attributed their split to his lack of drive as a teenage boy, which was in strong contrast to Michelle’s go-getter attitude. “At that point, I just didn’t take my life or my future seriously. But Michelle knew what she wanted, and after graduation she was off to Princeton,” he recounted.
Far from being salty about it, Upchurch was super proud to see Michelle follow her dreams, and only ever wanted her to fulfill her potential — something he believed she’s since gone on to do. As he told Enquirer, “I always knew Michelle was special and would make a difference in the world,” (via Daily Mail). He also gushed that he was just as impressed by the man she went on to settle down with. Having said that, he couldn’t help but throw in a playful reminder that Michelle was the prize in the relationship. “I have never met Barack, but I have to say, he is a very lucky man,” he said. We love to see it!
Michelle has spoken about their relationship, too
Like we said, when it comes to Michelle Obama’s ex-boyfriends, she hasn’t exactly shied away from sharing details here and there. As such, it should come as no surprise that in “Becoming,” she spoke about her relationship with David Upchurch.
Among the details she shared were that Upchurch was her first grown-up boyfriend, and that he got on great with her family. “He sat on the couch and watched ball games with my father. He joked around with Craig and made polite conversation with my mom,” she recounted. Nevertheless, just as Upchurch had told Enquirer that they’d split when Michelle went to Princeton, the former lawyer addressed that, too. She revealed that Upchurch had come along to drop her off at Princeton, and that she’d broken things off over the phone that night … and not in the most overt, “I’m-breaking-up-with-you” way. Before you think that was an indicator of Michelle’s shady side, though, she explained in the book that she’d done so thinking it would minimize as much pain as possible. “I probably should have said it directly in the moment, but I chickened out, knowing it would hurt, both to say and to hear. Instead, I just let him go,” she wrote. Who’s chopping the onions?
Regardless of the former couple parting ways, it bears mentioning that in his interview with Enquirer, Upchurch shared more than once that he had no ill will toward Michelle for their breakup. On the contrary, of the former first lady’s decision to end the relationship as she began her studies, he explained, “I couldn’t stand in her way. I wished the best for Michelle because she’s always been a wonderful person” (via The Telegraph). Talk about an amicable split! We’re wishing Upchurch the best.
