Flashback: Jennifer Aniston confronts Barack Obama affair rumors

The rumor mill has been churning in recent weeks amid talk of potential trouble in the marriage of Barack and Michelle Obama, and the strange saga took a strange turn this week when observers brought to light a recent -- and perhaps overlooked -- statement issued by a famous Hollywood star.

As the Daily Mail reports, it was back in October that actress Jennifer Aniston, who some suggest may have been romantically entangled with former President Obama, stepped forward to clear the air about the scuttlebutt that has since gripped the nation from D.C. to L.A.

Divorce rumors swirl

Whispers about the Obama marriage have circulated for years, but it was in recent months that they seemed to gain additional steam, in part due to the former first lady's absence at multiple, high-profile events.

First, Mrs. Obama noticeably skipped the Washington funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter, an event at which all other former presidential spouses were in attendance, leaving Barack Obama to appear solo.

Just last week, the former first lady was a no-show for the inauguration of President Donald Trump for his second term in office, despite the fact that her husband was present and accounted for in the Capitol rotunda.

Though a gushing birthday Instagram post from Barack to Michelle was seen by some as an attempt to refute rumors of an impending split, political commentator Meghan McCain has suggested that where there is smoke, there may indeed be fire.

As Newsweek noted, McCain recently said on her podcast, “I have been hearing this rumor that the Obamas are getting divorced by reputable people...very serious journalists telling me that they're hearing that the Obama divorce rumors are true.”

Aniston weighs in

Whether or not the former first couple is headed for divorce court, Aniston took steps to clear the air -- and her name -- in what could become a huge political news story in the coming weeks or months.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show, Aniston declared the chatter about her potential involvement with Mr. Obama as “absolutely untrue.”

An insider close to the actress has since explained why she addressed the situation directly rather than sticking to her usual “no comment” policy, stating that she did not want to “add fuel to the fire” by staying mum.

“She barely knows Obama, let alone is dating him. She told friends that after all these years of being in the spotlight, this has to be the most bizarre piece of gossip she has ever heard about herself,” the source declared, adding that the actress is “upset for Michelle because she's seen stories about the Obamas' marriage being on the rocks and she knows first hand what it is like to be at the center of stories like that.”

Regardless of the real situation in the Obama household, all eyes are watching for new developments, with journalist Megyn Kelly suggesting that if the divorce rumors are true, “it truly would be a political earthquare in Democrat circles, nevermind America,” and given the party's resounding defeat in November, that is the last thing the its membership currently needs.