White House reportedly investigating possible photo of Malia Obama

Jan. 4, 2015: President Barack Obama, right, with his daughter Malia Obama, waves as they arrive at the White House in Washington. (AP)

The White House is reportedly probing how a photo, potentially featuring President Obama’s daughter Malia, surfaced on the Instagram page of a rap group.

The photo appears to be 16-year-old Malia Obama sporting a white shirt with the logo of Pro Era in green, red and black lettering. A representative for rapper Joey Bada$$ told Gawker that the New York-based rap collective received the photo from a “mutual friend.”

The authenticity of the Instagram picture has not been verified, but the White House is reportedly looking into how the image landed on the Internet.

First lady Michelle Obama has kept her daughters out of the social media spotlight telling Barbara Walters in a 2013 interview that only Malia was able to use Facebook, while Sasha did not have social media access at all, which has many wondering how the photo surfaced or if it really is Malia..

Pro Era posted the photo claiming it to be of Malia posting it with a link to the group’s web shop. Earlier reports indicate the T-shirt was on-sale for $40.

In 2009, just weeks after Obama became president, Ty Inc., a company based in Obama's home state of Illinois that had named a pair of its popular Beanie Babies toys after the presidential sisters, renamed them following complaints from Mrs. Obama about the inappropriateness of using her daughters' names.

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The Associated Press contributed it this report