Michelle Obama says 'it's fun' to see Sasha, Malia as adults, spills they 'have boyfriends'

Michelle Obama is just as surprised as everyone else to see her daughters Sasha and Malia all grown up.

The former first lady appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Wednesday and shared how "special" it was to have her daughters, whom she shares with former President Barack Obama, back home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Being with them as adults, it's fun," Obama said about Sasha and Malia who are now 20 and 23 years old respectively, noting that they grew up before her eyes. "They are just amazing young women."

DeGeneres recalled the last time Obama appeared on her show with Sasha and Malia in 2008 to see the Jonas Brothers perform.

"They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now they're bringing grown men home. Before it was just pop bands, now they have boyfriends and real lives," Obama said.

DeGeneres also commented on how well the two have adjusted to the real world after growing up in the White House.

"That was sort of our philosophy, not just in the White House. I listened to what my mother said when she was raising us, she said 'I'm not raising babies, I'm raising real people to be out in the world,' and I kept that in mind with the girls," Obama said.

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She said she knew her daughters wouldn't always be in the "bubble" of the White House so they needed to learn how to do things on their own like make their bed, learn to drive and how to be independent and responsible.

The "Becoming" author also spoke about her marriage with Barack Obama. The couple recently celebrated their 30 year anniversary and Michelle Obama joked about how her husband being president for eight years was a "hassle," but the experience brought them closer.

"I respect him. I know a lot of people miss him right around now. Amazingly that time in the White House, because we were working on hard things all the time, it brought us closer," Obama said. "We had to be each other's best friends. We lived in the bubble with each other, had to learn how to get along because we had to see each other all the time."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michelle Obama on 'Ellen': Sasha, Malia are adults, 'have boyfriends'