Michelle, Barack Cover a Major Success for Us

Featuring Michelle Obama and hubby on the cover of Us Weekly paid off big time for the gossip mag, MSNBC reports. Early sales figures have already far outpaced recent covers sporting Jessica Simpson and Heidi Montag—the mag's usual celebrity fare. The circulation bump is a boon for the flagging publication, but ironically Us didn't interview its cover lady—relying instead on comments from friends for its story.

“Being the first celebrity magazine to put her on the cover was more important. Unfortunately, it dilutes the impact another weekly will have when they do get Michelle on the record,” said an editor at another magazine. (More Michelle Obama stories.)