Fact Check: Did Michelle Obama post a picture of Barack Obama mourning Tafari Campbell's death? Viral tweet debunked

Barack Obama's sous chef, Tafari Campbell, died on July 24 when he drowned in a paddleboarding accident. After Campbell's death, the former President was grief-stricken, and posted an image featuring his wife Michelle Obama, Campbell, and himself, as he mentioned that he would "miss him every day."

However, recently, an image went viral featuring Barack Obama sitting in an outdoor space, looking seemingly sad. Twitter user @dom_lucre shared the picture and claimed that it was posted by Michelle Obama. They mentioned that the picture featured the former President mourning the loss of his chef on his birthday, which was 10 days after Campbell passed away.

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Michelle Obama did not post a picture of Barack Obama mourning Tafari Campbell's death

After the Tweet by @dom_lucre went viral, it came to light that while Michelle Obama did indeed share the image of Barack Obama, she did not write another about him mourning the death of the chef. She in fact posted the image online on August 4 to wish her husband a happy birthday. She expressed her love for him and called him her "favorite thoughtful guy."

Hence, the claim behind the image posted by @dom_lucre is false.

The former President spoke to People Magazine soon after he posted a tribute to the late chef on his Instagram account. He said that the entire Obama family was devastated after they learned about the news. He called him "warm, fun, and extraordinarily kind," as he said:

"When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House — creative and passionate about food and its ability to bring people together. In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter."

He also stated how they asked Tafari to stay with them when the family was leaving the White House. Barack Obama stated that the sous chef "generously" agreed and that his demise left the family heartbroken.

"That’s why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone," he continued.

The sous chef, Campbell, passed away at around 10 am on July 24, 2023. His body was recovered from a pond on Edgartown Great Road after a call was made to the police by someone who claimed that a "male paddleboarder went into the water and struggled to stay on the surface."

Massachusetts State Police confirmed the death of the 45-year-old and mentioned that his remains were recovered 100 feet away from the shore, as per People.