Youll Never Believe Why Obama Dumped His ExPresident Barack Obama cannot be pleased that two of his ex-girlfriends have paired up to write a book about him, providing some exclusive insight into who he really was growing up. According to Genevieve Cook, once of the presidents former college girlfriends, they met at a Christmas party just after Obama graduated from Columbia at 22 years old. Obama and Cook reportedly dated for 18 months, during which time, Obamas girlfriend kept a journal. Of course, she pulled passages from her writings and included them in the book. After cohabiting for some time in New York City, the couple made the decision to part ways. Cook claims that Obama called off the relationship because Obama really wanted to be with a black woman. 