Michelle Obama enjoys intimate lunch with longtime male friend while on lavish Spain getaway without husband Barack (photos)

Former US First Lady, Michelle Obama, was pictured enjoying an intimate lunch with her longtime male friend during a lavish Spain getaway without her husband, Barack Obama.

In photos obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail, the former first lady, 61, was joined by James Costos, 62, former US ambassador to Spain, and his partner, Michael Smith, 62, the Obamas’ longtime interior designer and former White House decorator-in-chief.

Her daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24, were also spotted dining at The Lobster Club in Puerto Portals during the trip. Their father, former President Barack Obama was notably not in attendance.

Michael and James have been longtime friends of the Obamas and have hosted the family many times at their Rancho Mirage home in Palm Springs, California.

‘When they were here, it occurred to me that more than 50 years ago JFK had stayed just down the road at Bing Crosby’s home,’ Michael told Architectural Digest in 2017.

‘The President and Mrs Obama basically woke up in the morning to the same view of the valley. There was something lovely about that thought.

‘It made me contemplate all the change that has taken place in those decades, contrasting with the timelessness of this beautiful desert landscape.’

This group outing comes amid ongoing rumors about the state of Michelle and Barack’s marriage status over the last several months.

Michelle dismissed speculation about her marriage and addressed the rumors head on during a podcast episode of The Diary of a CEO in May.

During the episode, she told the hosts, ‘If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it.’

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