Barack Obama shares his reaction to daughter Malia dropping her last name to direct.
The former president said he warned her that dropping her name would not hide her connection to her famous parents.
“His first movie went to Sundance and all these fancy film festivals and he didn’t use Obama as a director on the credits,” he said during Tuesday’s episode of the “Pivot” podcast.
“I was all like, ‘You know they’re going to know who you are.’
She then explained that Malia wanted audiences to watch her film “The Heart” without the Obama family connection in mind.
“And he’s all like, ‘You know what? I want them to see it for the first time and not relate to it in any way,'” said Brock, 63.
The proud father-of-two – who also shares daughter Sasha, 23, with wife Michelle Obama – further explained that his girls are not interested in using their status to get ahead.
“I think our daughters don’t try to take advantage of it,” she said.
The “A Promised Land” author also said his daughters don’t want him or Michelle, 60, to push them in their careers.
“The challenge for us is to help them in whatever way we can,” Brock said. “I mean they’re very sensitive about this stuff. They’re very stubborn about it.”
“View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg came to Malia’s defense earlier this year after the 26-year-old credited herself with “Malia Ann” for her directorial debut.
“Apparently some people online are criticizing him, claiming that everybody knows he’s Obama, so it’s pointless to hide it,” Goldberg, 68, said on the talk show in February.
“If she knows she’s Obama, why do you care? Why do you care what she says herself?” he continued.
“If she wants to call herself Janet MacDonald, she’s entitled to that! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever she wants to be!
Malia recently hit the red carpet at the Deauville American Film Festival in September to promote the short film.
She rocked a plaid Vivienne Westwood ensemble that featured the brand’s Sunday corset and an asymmetrical maxi skirt.
Malia accessorized the look with black knee-high leather boots and hoop earrings.
While on the red carpet at the event, she admitted that she “doesn’t know much about fashion” but was “happy to wear” the designer outfit.