Who is Sasha Obama’s new boyfriend, Clifton Powell Jr? Barack and Michelle’s youngest daughter looks all loved up with the super-tall former basketball pro now working with Nike and Pepsi | South China Morning Post
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Who is Sasha Obama’s new boyfriend, Clifton Powell Jr? Barack and Michelle’s youngest daughter looks all loved up with the super-tall former basketball pro now working with Nike and Pepsi

Sasha Obama’s new boyfriend Clifton Powell Jr is a commercial director and the son of actor Clifton Powell. Photos: @itscliftonpowell/Instagram; @3ChichsPolitico/Twitter
Certified “style popper” Sasha Obama has a new man in her life. The 20-year-old daughter of former US president Barack Obama is reportedly dating Clifton Powell Jr, the 25-year-old son of legendary actor and Ray star Clifton Powell.
Sasha Obama cradling her new beau, Clifton Powell Jr Photo: @shadylipz___/Instagram
Will they make a match made in heaven, or turn out to be just another celebrity flash in the pan? Here’s what we know so far about Powell Jr and his relationship with Barack and Michelle Obama’s youngest daughter.

1. He comes from an affluent family

Clifton Powell Jr and his actor father Clifton Powell. Photo: @dee_dee_49/Instagram
According to Page Six, Powell grew up in Los Angeles’ upscale Ladera Heights neighbourhood, nicknamed “the black Beverly Hills” due to its expensive housing and celebrity residents. His mother Kimberly runs WhateverUneed Designs, an interior design firm, and Chef Kim, a catering company that provides custom meal and nutrition consultations. His sister Maya is an entrepreneur and owns a beauty business called Suga Honey Glam Incorporated.

2. He’s a former basketball star

Clifton Powell Jr joined UC Santa Barbara’s basketball team. Photo: @JamieShaw5/Twitter

After he graduated from Village Christian High School, a private school in Sun Valley that costs over US$28,000 a year, Powell earned a four-year basketball scholarship to the University of California in Santa Barbara. According to his basketball bio, his favourite sports team is the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Clifton Powell Jr was a successful basketball player with his university but he left his scholarship early to pursue other ambitions. Photo: @itscliftonpowell/Instagram

Powell was one of five players from his 22ft Academy team to move on to Division 1 institutions, the highest level of competition sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. However, he transferred out of the university less than one year later to pursue a career as a broadcaster.

3. He is a TV commercial director

Clifton Powell Jr and his father Clifton Powell working together on set. Photo: @itscliftonpowell/Instagram

Powell, who goes by the nicknames “Cliff” and “CP3”, began his career by writing TV scripts but soon found a passion for directing and visual storytelling. He now directs commercials and has already created video content for brands like Peloton, Nike, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, EA Sports and more. The six-foot, five-inch (1.96-metre) tall lad’s favourite movie has been named as hip-hop group N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton and his favourite TV show is apparently Scandal.

4. It looks like he’s stolen Sasha’s heart

Clifton Powell Jr’s father Clifton Powell is a famous actor who has appeared in films including Next Friday and Rush Hour. Photo: @itscliftonpowell/Instagram

Clifton Jr and Sasha were spotted happily taking a stroll before getting in the same car in Los Angeles two days after her mother, Michelle Obama, let slip she was dating during her recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Though it’s unclear when exactly they began hanging out, reports suggest the couple met when Sasha moved to the University of Southern California after transferring from the University of Michigan in autumn of 2021.

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5. He’s passed the sister test

It seems Sasha’s new beau already has the stamp of approval from the Obamas. Barack Obama’s eldest daughter Malia was snapped spending time with Powell days after it was revealed he was dating her sister. The duo was seen walking and talking in a park in Los Angeles, having an animated chat as they made their way around the green space. They didn’t try to hide from the paparazzi as they made their way through the grassy park area. At one point, Malia sat on the park bench and smoked a cigarette.
Malia, who has been dating her Harvard-educated boyfriend Rory Farquharson since 2017, has already introduced her boyfriend to her family. So the question remains: when will Sasha make her relationship public?
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Barack Obama
  • As mum Michelle accidentally revealed on Ellen, the daughter of the former US president is dating 25-year-old Clifton Jr – son of acting star Clifton Powell from Ray
  • Jr had a basketball scholarship at USC, but quit early to make ads for Peloton, Mountain Dew and EA Sports – and big sister Malia approves of the new beau