Good Morning America is officially down two anchors after ABC announced the on-air removal of T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach.
The two anchors, who sometimes guest host GMA and serve as daily hosts of GMA3 – the afternoon version of GMA – were notified of their removal this morning after the discovery of an extramarital relationship reached the public last week. ABC News President Kim Godwin is now calling the situation an “internal and external distraction,” citing an incessant amount of gossip both inside and outside of the company.
In an editorial call, Godwin explained that while Holmes and Robach’s off-screen behavior was not a direct violation of company policy, it presented enough of a distraction to warrant further investigation by ABC executives, according to TMZ. Their removal from GMA3 is reportedly indefinite.
“And so, I want to say that while that relationship is not a violation of company policy, I have really taken the last few days to think about and work through what I think is best for the ABC News organization.”
“This is something I’m not going to talk, we’re not going to talk about on this call until there is more to be said. I’m asking that we stop the whispering in the hallways. You know, we can’t operate with gossip, and speculation and rumors. We need to stay focused on the work.”
Photos of Holmes and Robach holding hands and engaging in other flirtatious behaviors were shared with the public last Wednesday. Both have been married to their respective partners since 2010 and have been a part of the ABC news division since 2014.
Neither Holmes nor Robach has made a public statement following the news of their secret relationship. Both anchors still appeared on air Thursday and Friday of last week, making subtle jokes that indicated they were well aware of what was going on, like enjoying the week and being excited for the weekend.
On Friday, just a couple of days after the news broke of her relationship with Holmes, Robach moved out of the New York home she shared with her husband and Melrose Place actor Andrew Shue, according to the Daily Mail. She also deleted her Instagram account, while Shue deleted all evidence of Robach from his.
This is the second extramarital relationship Holmes has been involved in. The first was in 2016 and involved a three-year affair with another GMA colleague, Natasha Singh, a producer of the show and friend of Robach’s, according to the Daily Mail. Like Robach, Holmes has also deleted his Instagram page. Both he and Robach will be replaced by Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez, although for how long is unclear.
It’s safe to say this whole situation feels like something out of Apple TV’s The Morning Show. One can only hope the drama stops here, and that those affected have the opportunity to heal.