Sasha Obama has spent most of her life under the intense scrutiny that comes with being the daughter of a US President. Despite growing up in the public eye and living under strict security measures, Sasha has had some relatable moments that have endeared her to many. While she has mostly been known as a President’s daughter, there are many facts about her that are often overlooked. This story provides a glimpse into Sasha Obama’s life and current pursuits, shedding light on the lesser-known aspects of her upbringing.
There’s more to know about this presidential daughter than just who her father is. The little girl who once lived in the White House is no longer so little. And now that Obama is all grown up and is no longer obligated to be the first daughter, she’s doing big things. While people of the United States and the world have seen Obama through the years, there are still quite a few things you probably don’t know about her — so let’s take a closer look at some unexpected facts about Sasha Obama.
- Sasha isn’t her real name
We first met Sasha Obama during her father’s race for the White House. Once he won the election, then 7-year-old Sasha was instantly in public view. Over her father’s two terms in office, the world saw her grow up from a young girl to a full-fledged teenager. You would think by the time her father left the White House eight years later, there wouldn’t be much unknown about the teen. Not quite! Did you know that Sasha isn’t even her real name?
It turns out, Sasha is actually short for Natasha. Mind blown. Although this was first revealed in 2016 when news outlets reported she was using her full first name for a summer job on Martha’s Vineyard (more on that later), it flew under the radar. That is, until Twitter user Ashley C. Ford shared the news in 2017 (via Refinery29), sending all of Twitter into a frenzy. One Twitter user commented on the first daughter’s name, sharing, “My life is a lie.”
2. Sasha Obama had a childhood scare
It’s not common knowledge, but Sasha Obama got very sick when she was incredibly young. Former president Barack Obama reflected on the experience in a campaign video that Politico reported on. “People ask me what was the hardest time in my life — they ask, well what about during the debt ceiling debate and this and that and the other thing,” he noted. But those situations paled in comparison to what he went through when his youngest daughter was an infant. “Sasha got meningitis when she was 3 months old,” he revealed. “I still remember going to the hospital together and they had to give her a spinal tap.”
“Your world narrows to this very small point,” he continued, describing how it felt at the moment. “There’s one thing you care about and you don’t care about anything else.” Fortunately, Sasha made a full recovery and lives a happy and healthy life to this day.
- Meeting Ryan Reynolds was major for Sasha Obama
Sometimes it’s hard to picture Sasha Obama as a real teen going through the same things as the average kid, but then those beautiful moments happen to remind the world that Sasha Obama is super relatable and just like everyone else growing up… well, most of the time.
A perfect example of this came in 2016 when Obama attended her first state dinner. It just so happened that there were some celebrities there, including the crush-worthy Ryan Reynolds. And let’s just say, being the daughter of the president has some major perks as Obama had the opportunity to meet the actor.
As Time reported, there was a great photo-op where Obama met Reynolds with her sister Malia looking on, giving a thumbs up to her lucky sister. Obama’s joy at meeting the actor is just how other teens — and, honestly, adults — would react during that interaction. You go girl.
4. Can Sasha Obama take your order?
Being the president’s daughter doesn’t necessarily leave you with any special treatment — at least when you’re an Obama. Like many teens who end the school year and head into summer with a lot of time on their hands, Sasha Obama landed herself a summer job. Customers who visited Nancy’s, a seafood restaurant on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, in the summer of 2016 may have noticed an employee who looked familiar. No, that wasn’t a trick of the eye. You really were being served by a first daughter.
As the Boston Herald later reported, then-15-year-old Sasha Obama worked the takeout window at the restaurant for the summer months that year, accompanied by Secret Service agents. A fellow waiter told the Boston Herald, “We were wondering why there were six people helping this girl, but then we found out who it was.” Not exactly your typical summer job experience, but close enough!
- Sasha Obama is besties with Joe Biden’s granddaughter
Having a friend who gets your way of life is key. This is why it makes total sense that one of Sasha Obama’s best friends is Maisy Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden’s granddaughter. Both girls were in the spotlight from a young age, which seems to have helped the ladies relate to one another. It also doesn’t hurt that they have more in common than just that. Obama and Biden played basketball together and they both love soccer, according to the Chicago Tribune.
They’re school friends too, having attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington. And, as the ultimate test of friendship, the two have even vacationed together in the past. As Us Weekly reported, the two were seen hanging out in Miami in early 2017.
- Sasha Obama’s entourage includes a reality show star
Maisy Biden is not the only friend with whom Sasha Obama spends her time hanging out and vacationing. She’s also not her only famous friend. The well-known teen has another friend, Skylar, who was spotted at Obama’s 16th birthday celebration, (via AOL). Skylar has also famously been in front of the camera, but not for political reasons. In fact, Skylar and her family are famous because they live out their lives in front of the camera. Skylar’s mom, Charrisse Jackson Jordan, is one of the housewives on “The Real Housewives of Potomac” on Bravo.
While Jackson Jordan hasn’t spent time with the Obamas, she spoke about her daughter’s friendship with Obama on Bravo, sharing, “Skylar and Sasha [Obama] are friends. They go to lunch. Secret Service is out there standing outside while Skylar and Sasha’s having lunch.” It’s just a totally normal friendship — sort of.
- Sasha Obama has the best room in the Obama house
Being the baby of the family has some major perks, especially when your parents are decorating and designing a new house. When the Obama family left the White House, it was time to find a new house to call “home.” Because they took the time to find the right house, the family members had a chance to have a say in the designs.
Michelle Obama spoke about their move during an interview on Ellen. And who did she think got the best deal? “Sasha actually killed in this house. She has, like, this two-room suite, it’s all decked out. She’s got, like, a living room area and a bedroom.”
But what about the former president? He must have more space. That’s not quite the case. The former first lady shared, “He’s got the smallest room for his office.” After explaining Sasha’s posh digs, Michelle quips, “So he’s really hating on her.”
- Sasha Obama went big for her super sweet 16
As the former president’s daughter, Sasha Obama has seen her fair share of parties. It should come as no surprise then that when it came time for the famous teen to celebrate her sweet 16, she would do it big and have an epic celebration. And of course, she looked stunning in the process.
In May 2017 Sasha celebrated her birthday in a big way. No longer the little girl who first came into the White House, Obama wore a fabulous red dress by Jill Stuart for the big event, (via Daily Mail). Photos leaked on social media revealed that the teen was surrounded by friends for the big event, but she also made sure to include a couple of other important people on the guest list. This included her parents, who were by her side for her exclusive and private birthday party.
9. Live music for Sasha Obama, please!
The youngest Obama is definitely a fan of live music and has been to her fair share of shows. According to BET, Sasha Obama was spotted at Jay-Z’s Made In America music festival in 2016 in Philadelphia, rocking out to Rihanna’s set. Additionally, on her fifteenth birthday, Sasha, Malia, and Michelle went to Baltimore to see Beyoncé, according to The Washington Post. That wasn’t her first time seeing Queen Bey either, as the trio saw her in Atlanta in 2012, and in Chicago in 2013 and 2014. That’s not counting the performances Beyoncé has given at White House events such as the former First Lady’s birthday party, or the Obamas’ first inaugural ball.
Obama has danced with royals other than Beyoncé, too. In 2018, Barack Obama sat for an interview on the Netflix series “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.” There, the former president discussed dancing on stage with Prince: “This was probably three or four months before he died,” he reflected. “Prince asked Sasha to come up and dance — and she’s an excellent dancer. Then Sasha pulls me up, which surprises me because she always mocks my dancing, but I have dad moves.” Jealous yet?
10. Sasha Obama’s on social media… somewhere
You may not find Sasha Obama’s Instagram account anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean she’s not using social media. According to The Hill, her father confirmed at a 2017 Hillary Clinton rally that she is. In his speech, he mentioned that Sasha does, indeed, tweet.
There’s hard evidence that Sasha is on Snapchat as well, according to an interview President Obama gave on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” where he explains how she taught him to use a popular app. The former president recalls, “Sasha gave me instructions on Snapchat.” He explained that he said to her over dinner, “So, tell me about Snapchat.” Sasha obliged him, showing him how it works and what features it has. When she finished the demo, he remarked how interesting it was, and started discussing the implications of social media with his wife at the table.
Then he says, “Come to find out, she was recording us the whole time and then sent to her friends afterwards, ‘This is my dad lecturing us on the meaning of social media.’ And she took a picture of herself sort of looking bored.” Hilarious.
