Malia Obama Drops Last Name for Film Debut to Forge Independent Path

Barack Obama supports his daughter's decision to use her first and middle name in her directorial debut, emphasizing her desire to succeed without leveraging her family's fame.

Malia Obama, 26, chose to be credited as 'Malia Ann' for her short film 'The Heart,' which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Barack Obama revealed on 'The Pivot Podcast' that his daughters, Malia and Sasha, are committed to building their careers independently.
The former president acknowledged his daughters' determination to avoid the 'nepo baby' label by not using their family's connections.
Barack Obama shared that both he and Michelle Obama find it challenging to offer their daughters help due to their sensitivity about leveraging fame.
Despite Malia's name change, Barack Obama noted that people would still recognize her, but she wanted audiences to view her work without preconceived associations.

The Hollywood Reporter