:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Craig-Robinson-Craig-Robinson-012226-ed9202d813914915aa1914e2b60cc07c.jpg "Why The Office star Craig Robinson's ex thought he was Michelle Obama's married brother: 'That's ...")
The &34;Brooklyn NineNine&34; star ended up explaining the name situation to his partner, but noted that he was &34;kinda laughing&34; the whole time. Why The Office star Craig Robinson's ex thought he was Michelle Obama's married brother: 'That's a tricky one' The &34;Brooklyn NineNine&34; star ended up explaining the name situation to his partner, but noted that he was &34;kinda laughing&34; the whole time. By Emlyn Travis :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/EmlynTravisauthorphotocba6765b433b4f93b9398d18053153b1.jpg) Emlyn Travis is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2022.
The "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star ended up explaining the name situation to his partner, but noted that he was "kinda laughing" the whole time.
Why *The Office *star Craig Robinson's ex thought he was Michelle Obama's married brother: 'That's a tricky one'
The "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star ended up explaining the name situation to his partner, but noted that he was "kinda laughing" the whole time.
By Emlyn Travis
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Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.
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January 22, 2026 5:20 p.m. ET
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Actor Craig Robinson; Author and podcast host Craig Robinson. Credit:
Robert Smith/Patrick McMullan via Getty; Andy Wenstrand/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty
Actor Craig Robinson says being mistaken for author Craig Robinson once landed him in some seriously hot water with an ex-girlfriend.**
The *Office* alum, who recently made his Broadway debut in the comedy *All Out*, explained on Thursday's episode of *Today With Jenna and Sheinelle* that he and Michelle Obama's brother often get mistaken for one another because of their same name — for better and for worse.**
"There's been one or two things. One time I was dating a girl and she called me up crying thinking I was [the] married Craig Robinson," Robinson said, referencing the former First Lady's brother, who is married to wife Kelly.
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Craig Robinson and his wife Kelly Robinson at the White House on Aug. 2, 2016 in Washington, D.C.
YURI GRIPAS/AFP via Getty
Cohost Jenna Bush Hager also pointed out that both Robinsons "are both from Chicago too," calling the whole situation "kinda crazy."**
As it turns out, the case of mistaken identity occurred because of an incorrect photo. "They had his name and my picture, talking about his wife and kids," he elaborated. "So, yeah, that was a tricky one."
Craig Robinson joins 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' as Tracy Morgan's rival (exclusive)
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Craig Robinson even tricked his dad with his fake announcement about quitting comedy
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The *Brooklyn Nine-Nine *star ended up having to clarify to his partner that it really wasn't him being mentioned, but that he "was kinda laughing" over the mix-up the whole time.
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Hager then revealed that they'd gotten in touch with the *IMO* podcast cohost and that he'd recorded a video message for his fellow Craig Robinson.**
"Hi, Craig Robinson, it's the other Craig Robinson," he teased. "Broadway, wow! Congrats on the show."
He also suggested that they pull a little switcheroo sometime. "I heard people are getting us mixed up, so why don't we make the most of it?" Robinson asked. "Let's have you host the IMO podcast with my sister, Michelle Obama, and I'll give Broadway a try. I would love to do that. Just let me know if that works!"
He concluded, "No, but seriously, congrats man, very happy for us."
The* This is the End* actor was fully onboard with Robinson's plan. "I would love to do something with Craig Robinson," he said. "Thank you for that. That was amazing."
In addition to cohosting the *IMO* podcast with his famous sister, Robinson is also the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and has penned several novels, including his 2010 memoir, *A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond. *
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Craig Robinson on Oct. 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Savion Washington/Getty
The former first lady and* The Look* author explained her decision to launch a podcast with her brother in their premiere episode last year.
"Some people react like, 'Oh, you're doing a podcast with your brother?'" Obama recalled. "But our dynamic is so unique. I think there are plenty of siblings who have great relationships, but I think when we think back to where that came from, I think about the physical closeness that we had."
Watch Robinson discuss being confused for Robinson in the clip above.**
Source: "EW Talk"
Source: Talk
Published: January 23, 2026 at 06:57AM on Source: RED MAG
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