Growing up in front of the eyes of the public isn’t something Malia Obama is not familiar with. Being the daughter of the former president of the United States, Barak Obama, she has spent her life under the limelight, and even today, the media is interested in her every move.
The 25-year-old just presented her directorial debut, The Heart, at the Sundance Film Festival. In the Sundance Institute’s “Meet the Artist” spotlight video, Malia Obama revealed she was going by the name Malia Ann, thus ditching her moniker.
Malia, who was born Malia Ann Obama on July 4, 1998, has her middle name honoring her paternal grandmother, who died from ovarian cancer at the age of 52 in 1995, and now, she has dropped her last name in favor of her middle name.
Speaking of the short film for which she served as both director and screenwriter, Malia said. “This is an odd little story, somewhat of fable, about a man grieving the death of his mother after she leaves him an unusual request in her will.” Further, in the YouTube clip of the short film, she wrote, “The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things.”
The Heat isn’t her first attempt into the profession. Previously, the Harvard grad worked in the writers’ room on Donald’s Amazon Prime show Swarm, co-writing the fifth episode, “Girl, Bye.”
“She’s a very professional person,” Swarm‘s co-creator Janine Nabers said Malia in a January 2023 Vanity Fair interview. “She’s an incredible writer and artist. She made significant contributions… She’s very, truly committed to her craft.”
Swarm‘s executive producer Stephen Glover also spoke of Malia. “We can’t be easy on her just because she’s the [former] President’s daughter,” he told Vanity Fair. “No, she is really down-to-earth and cool. So it’s not an issue at all.”
Malia Obama isn’t the first celebrity who made the decision to ditch their family name. Other celebs have done that before, including Nicolas Cage, who changed his last name from Coppola, and Angelina Jolie, who dropped her surname, Voight.
For her directorial debut, Malia looked cozy, with minimal makeup, her curly hair down with small braids scattered throughout.
“Cringeworthy Pics… Totally Inappropriate,” Photos of David Beckham With Daughter Harper Cause a Big Stir
On Saturday, David Beckham enjoyed a heartwarming moment with his daughter, Harper, as he took her to watch a soccer match in Florida, Miami. And while the sweet father and daughter duo looked adorable, many were quick to disagree with their body language.
The 49-year-old star, who co-owns the club, hoped his 12-year-old daughter, Harper, would bring him luck in the MLS match. Despite his hopes, Beckham’s team only managed a draw.
That said, David and Harper looked still in high spirits as they were photographed smiling and enjoying the day.
Beckham seemed upbeat for the majority of the match, exuding style in a navy blue suit complemented by a coordinating T-shirt.
Harper channeled her fashion designer mother, Victoria, by wearing a stylish pink T-shirt and jeans. She completed her look with a chic, small yellow handbag.
Demonstrating his pride as a father, he affectionately hugged Harper while they observed the action on the field, their shared laughter highlighting their close bond.
The 12-year-old also snuggled up to her famous dad, and looked as she was thoroughly enjoying the match.
So many fans online admired the strong connection between the dad and his daughter. One person remarked, ’’She seems nice, and he seems like a fantastic father,’’ while another noted, ’’I love how adored she is by her father. Must be nice being the youngest girl with 3 older brothers.’’
However, others disagreed with the way David was showing his affection. A user wrote, ’’Beckham needs to realize that his daughter is growing fast. He cannot hug her the same way he did when she was 5.’’ Someone else added, ’’Cringeworthy pictures…she looks about 18, it looks totally inappropriate.’’
We admire the strong bond between this father-daughter duo. Another celebrity who recently stepped out with his child is Richard Gere. The actor’s 24-year-old son made a rare public appearance, and people couldn’t help but gush over his appearance.
Preview photo credit CHRIS ARJOON/AFP/East News, Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press/East News
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