A new first friend? After moving to the University of Southern California, Sasha Obama is reportedly dating the writer-director Clifton Powell Jr.
The former first daughter, 20, was first spotted with the 24-year-old UC Santa Barbara graduate for a walk in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 20, according to The Daily Mail. Although the two didn’t show a PDA during their outing, they were photographed smiling at each other and driving away in the same car after their walk.
Just a day before the duo were first linked, MichelleObama teased that her two daughters were dating during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now they’re bringing grown men home,” joked the 58-year-old Becoming writer on Tuesday, April 19’s episode. “Before, it was just pop bands. Now they have friends and a real life. They grew up right before our eyes.”
The former First Lady also reflected on quarantine with her two daughters at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was a very special pleasure to have her. That little bit of time,” Michelle explained. “Because they are fun to be with as adults! I love them at any age. … They’re fine and they’re just great young women.”
Sasha isn’t the only one who comes from a prominent family. Powell is the actor’s son Clifton Powell Sr., who has appeared in films such as Ray, Rush Hour and the Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me. The father-son duo have also collaborated on several projects, including a film that the younger Powell co-wrote.
“In the writers room with my son Clifton Powell Jr,” the 66-year-old actor wrote via Instagram in February 2020. “What an incredible feeling to be able to hire your son as a writer to work on yours [next] film project. There is nothing more rewarding than being a father and being a man.”
The Obamas are yet to reveal what they think of Sasha’s potential new boyfriend, but they’ve given the 23-year-old malia and her partner her seal of approval. In December 2020, Barack Obama announced that her older daughter’s boyfriend had joined the family. Rory Farquharson, in quarantine for part of their time. (The couple met in 2017 while attending Harvard.)
“I think, [like] a lot of families, we went through that first month playing games every night and doing little arts and crafts projects and then, you know, they slowly started to get bored with us,” he said during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” back then. “Maybe Malia and Sasha will teach, and Malia’s friend who stayed with us for a while spades.”
The 44th President, 60, continued: “He’s British … a wonderful young man and he was kind of stuck because there was a whole visa thing and he had a job set up. So we recorded him and I didn’t want to like him, but he’s a good boy.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Sasha’s new relationship with Powell Jr.: