After the heavily publicized romantic relationship that took the gossip world by storm, T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are out at ABC. The channel has severed ties with the former anchors of “GMA3,” according to Deadline. An ABC News rep for “GMA3” did not immediately respond to IndieWire’s request for comment.
The decision was reportedly made after a Thursday mediation session regarding the two anchor’s future at the network, according to TMZ. They were previously suspended from their show — which they co-hosted with Jennifer Ashton — in December. The report further states that the mediation was contentious, with ABC taking issue with their failure to disclose their romantic relationship to executives and behavior on set that reportedly made staff “uncomfortable.” The mediation is expected to continue to negotiate the details of the exit, but both will receive payouts per their contracts.
Holmes and Robach worked as co-hosts of “GMA3,” an afternoon spinoff of the “Good Morning America” franchise, since Holmes joined the program in September 2020. Last November, the two were reported to be in a relationship after The Daily Mail published photos of them on a “romantic weekend” trip in upstate New York. The news received a heavy amount of scrutiny on social media because both Holmes and Robach are married, albeit separated from their spouses. Holmes is married to attorney Marilee Fiebig, and recently filed for divorce, while Robach is married to actor and “Melrose Place” star Andrew Shue.
Further reports from tabloid outlets like TMZ and Page Six claimed that the affair was well-hidden at work, with the news catching many of their coworkers at “Good Morning America” and ABC off-guard. After the reports of their relationship came out, Holmes and Robach hosted one episode of the show, without acknowledging the brewing gossip around them, before being suspended by ABC the next week. Since then, a variety of temporary hosts have filled in, including Stephanie Ramos, Gio Benetiz, and DeMarco Morgan.
ABC News President Kim Godwin, when announcing the decision to suspend Holmes and Robach during a staff meeting for the channel in December, said the two’s relationship did not violate any company policy. In an interview with IndieWire, lawyer Amory McAndrew explained that although the relationship may not be expressly forbidden by the network’s terms, the network could still fire them provided they cover any financial terms in their contracts.
“They could say: ‘You didn’t violate a policy, but we just want you out of here,’” McAndrew said.
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