During a FaceTime chat this week, Ellen DeGeneres was able to get longtime friend, former First Lady Michelle Obama, to open up about what life has been like in her home since the coronavirus pandemic created a need for self-quarantine.
For the last couple of weeks, the 62-year-old talk show host has been checking in with famous friends in quarantine and posting the conversations on her social media account. Production is shut down on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and just about every other project in the industry.
READ MORE: California school district names elementary school after Michelle Obama
“We’re just trying to keep the routine going, but we’ve also got a little bit of Netflix and chilling happening,” she said, noting that daughters Malia and Sasha were both home from school.
“My condolences that the kids are home,” DeGeneres teased as Obama admitted she probably “shouldn’t have boasted” about finally having an empty nest.
At one point, the talk show host’s wife Portia de Rossi, chimed in to say “Hi” to the former First Lady, adding, “I’m filming! This is my third career as a videographer!”
READ MORE: Michelle Obama responds to 4-year-old girl who called herself ugly
READ MORE: Michelle Obama gets real about life after the White House
Obama also sent her sympathy to those adversely affected by the economic strain of the pandemic. She admitted that she’s personally been relieved to have her life slow down and allow those around her to hit the reset.
“This is like no other time in history,” she reflected. “You know there is some good and bad that goes with it.”
Obama’s thoughts turned to the impact this would take once the health crisis was over.
“I feel for all the folks that are gonna suffer because of what’s going to happen to the economy, and we have to be mindful about what we’re gonna do to support those folks once this quarantine is over,” she continued.
“…On the positive side, I know for us, it’s forced us to continue to sit down with each other, have real conversations. Really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers.’