I remember when Kumail Nanjiani was on Franklin & Bash way back when, but I think most people were probably first introduced to him when he starred in Silicon Valley. Kumail is promoting his stand-up special out on Hulu, appeared in the second season of Fallout, and will be on the newest season of Taskmaster. One of his stops was a guest appearance on the December 25 episode of Caleb Hearon’s podcast, “So True.”

During his interview with Hearon, Kumail addressed some gossip he’d heard about himself. Remember when there were rumors in early 2025 that Jennifer Aniston and President Obama were having an affair? Well, did y’all hear that Kumail and Michelle were also “doing it?” It was news to Kumail, too!

Kumail Nanjiani was tickled to find out he was the topic of some absurd gossip this year. During an episode of comedian Caleb Hearon’s “So True” podcast out Thursday, the “Eternals” star and stand-up comic dished about a ridiculous rumor that he was having an affair with former first lady Michelle Obama.

After getting a joking “Congratulations!” from Hearon, Nanjiani openly admitted the murmurs made him “so excited.”

Apparently, the phony tea even felt plausible enough for a mutual friend of the “Silicon Valley” star and his wife, Emily Gordon, to bring themself to pull her “aside” and tell her, “Hey so I heard that Kumail and Michelle Obama are, like, doing it.”

The entire idea was so ludicrous that Gordon “wasn’t even upset,” according to her husband.

“Multiple people brought it up to me,” Nanjiani went on, adding the ultimate kicker as he revealed, “I’ve never met Michelle Obama.”

Hearon then told his guest how his imaginary affair was running in tandem with “persistent” rumors about a secret relationship between President Barack Obama and actor Jennifer Aniston.

The gossip was news to the “Big Sick” actor, who asked Hearon whether he thought it was true or not.

“I don’t know, but what I’m saying is, from my frame, Kumail, you’re up there with Jen Aniston in terms of affair rumors,” the host replied.

“I don’t know, I think Michelle’s slumming it,” Nanjiani joked back, whose Hulu stand-up special “Night Thoughts” is out now.

[From HuffPo]

I’d never heard the Kumail/Michelle rumors, so they couldn’t have been widespread or believable enough to have gone mainstream. I don’t care if you’re Kumail or Jennifer Aniston – it must be wild to hear that there’s a rumor about you having an affair with an Obama. Who would even start a rumor about the two of them and why Kumail of all people? He doesn’t have that type of reputation. While he’s absolutely been politically active over the years, he’s never actually worked in politics like, say, Kal Penn, who briefly left Hollywood to work for the Obama administration.

I believe Kumail when he says that he’s never met the former first lady, so it’s not like there are any pictures of them together to get people talking. I wondered if they’d both attended the DNC or the same Harris/Walz event, without ever having crossed paths, but couldn’t find any examples. It sounds like Kumail’s wife was the one who heard it first and told him about it. I listened to their podcast a few times during the pandemic and really like them together. It’s such random gossip that they must have gotten a good laugh out of it.

Marvel star Kumail Nanjiani addresses bizarre Michelle Obama affair rumor — after someone alerted his wife https://t.co/ysgKtwqbSy pic.twitter.com/sbhGeK9u3V

— New York Post (@nypost) December 26, 2025

Photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon