“Fake News” is Donald Trump’s favorite phrase to describe bad press about himself and his family. But while Trump is often the target of some tall tales, he is not alone. Plenty of other presidents and their families have been the victims of fake news as well.
Malia Obama is one of the greatest examples of this. Both during and after her father’s presidency, Malia has been under scrutiny by the entire world. And this leads to some crazy rumors.
Wondering about the strangest Malia rumors in the world? We’ve got the full skinny on each rumor and the truth (or lies) behind it all.
True: Malia smoke cigarettes
Where does this rumor come from? A lot of places, actually. Malia has been spotted smoking cigarettes on dates with her boyfriend. And there was a viral video showing her blowing some Gandalf-worthy smoke rings. And, of course, her father was a heavy smoker back in the day.
None of this means she’s a serious nicotine addict, though. And we’re willing to bet plenty of people clutching their pearls over a cigarette did much worse when they were her age!
Keep in mind, Malia is 21 years old and it’s legal for her to smoke cigarettes. It’s hard for people to see such a habit when they can remember watching her and Sasha grow up as kids in the White House, though!
False: Malia was involved in the college bribery scandal of 2019
Sometimes, the truth in a rumor doesn’t have anything to do with the target of the rumor. Instead, the target gets caught up in stories about a real event.
That was the case with the college bribery scandal of 2019. In case you’ve forgotten, this was the scandal where Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin, and other wealthy parents allegedly bribed elite colleges so their children could gain admission.
Afterwards, there was a nasty rumor that the Obamas had bribed Harvard to secure Malia’s admission. While it’s true that Malia’s tennis coach got involved in the scandal, there is no evidence that Malia was part of it. And let’s be honest: what university wouldn’t want the daughter of a super-popular president attending classes?
False: Malia called off an engagement
With celebrities, it’s natural for people to play matchmaker. However, some folks try to move the romantic journey along far too quickly!
For example, there was a major online rumor that Malia had broken off her engagement with her fiancé. There’s just one problem with this rumor. Malia and her boyfriend Rory Farquharson were never engaged in the first place!
While it’s fun to imagine dramatics like a secret engagement, the truth is that there was never any substance to this rumor.
False: Barack Obama hates Malia’s boyfriend
There is one more Malia rumor that relates to her boyfriend. However, it also relates to another important person in her life: her dad!
Rumors swirled that Barack Obama hated Malia’s boyfriend because he is British. Of course, this is silly. As president, Obama established solid relationships and friendships all across the world. He would be the last person to reject someone because they are British.
False: Malia was busted for selling White House trinkets
If “fake news” had a home base, it would probably be Facebook. The social media platform provides an easy and natural way for people to circulate the most bizarre stories based on nothing at all.
For example, a satirical website named America’s Last Line of Defense published a fake story about Malia. The story claimed she stole White House “trinkets.” And then she sold them to the highest bidder.
Facebook users, not realizing it was satire, spread this tale far and wide. There was never any truth to this rumor. It’s not like Malia or her family is exactly hurting for money!
False: Malia knew about Harvey Weinstein’s scandals before #MeToo
Some rumors are so closely connected to real events that it’s difficult to disprove them. For example, many people believe that Malia Obama knew about the predatory practices of Harvey Weinstein.
Weinstein and the Obamas go way back. Weinstein was a major campaign donor, and Malia even completed an internship with his company. This is why even after Barack and Michelle Obama condemned Weinstein’s behavior, skeptics ask how they didn’t know the truth.
False: Malia was fired from an internship at the Spanish Embassy
Malia interned for more people than Harvey Weinstein. In fact, she actually interned at the U.S. Embassy in Spain before beginning college.
It was around this time that rumors began to circulate that she got fired from her internship for smoking pot.
This story was yet another bit of satire that social media users thought was the real thing, and was disproven by Snopes. In reality, Malia completed her internship and then kicked off a vacation with her family.
False: Malia was arrested for marijuana possession
Sometimes, satire and reality team up to form a kind of “super rumor” that’s hard to shake off. And that’s the case with Malia Obama and her alleged marijuana use.
After photos emerged showing her smoking pot at Lollapalooza in 2016 when she was 18, the public wondered just how “chronic” her habit really was. That was when another satire site published a fake story saying Malia got arrested for possession.
Nope! Malia was photographed smoking pot at Lollapalooza, but was never arrested for marijuana possession.