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It was hidden in plain sight.
By John Sundholm — Written on Dec 05, 2022
Less than a week after their long-running affair was revealed, ABC News appears to have removed “Good Morning America” co-hosts Amy Robach and TJ Holmes from the broadcast.
The pair were replaced on this morning’s broadcast with ABC reporters Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez, who said on-air that Robach and Holmes “have the day off.”
The decision reportedly came without warning from ABC executive Kim Godwin following an internal editorial meeting this morning. Robach and Holmes are said to have not had prior warning of the change.
Sources at ABC have said Robach and Holmes will be off the show “indefinitely.”
How long has T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's affair been going on?
It is unclear exactly how long their relationship has been going on but the affair appears to have been hidden in plain sight.
The two have openly gushed about one another, been seen on dates and even joked about the scandal on air. And we all missed it!
Robach and Holmes struck up a close relationship in 2014.
In an interview with People Magazine, Robach gushed about her closeness with Holmes and his family.
She told the magazine, "The moment he started at ABC, I think we just clicked. We've gone on tons of double dates with our spouses, and my daughters babysit his daughters."
Both Holmes and Robach are married, though Robach and her husband, “Melrose Place” star Andrew Shue, are reportedly near the finalization of divorce proceedings.
Holmes and his wife, attorney Marilee Fiebig, also separated earlier this year, but were said to be in the process of trying to work out their differences. Fiebig is said to be “blindsided” by Holmes’ relationship with Robach.
Holmes and Robach were photographed on a date on November 10.
Robach and Holmes’ affair was revealed last week after a series of paparazzi photos obtained by The Daily Mail were released, showing the pair sharing PDA’s during a series of dates, including during an outing at a New York bar on Nov 10 and a weekend getaway last month.
The images included shots of the two holding hands and appearing to fondle each other’s backsides.
The pair were also spotted coming in and out of each other’s apartment buildings on several recent occasions.
Sources at ABC claim Holmes and Robach's affair has been an 'open secret.'
Several unnamed sources at ABC told The Daily Mail the relationship was something of an open secret prior to the publication's expose.
Robach and Holmes were back on-air together on Friday, even appearing to joke about the scandal during the broadcast, with Holmes chuckling about what a “great week” he and Robach had.
Despite this light-hearted approach, however, sources at ABC have reported that the revelations have caused “massive confusion” amongst “GMA” staff and ABC leadership as they struggle with how to handle the unseemly aspects of the story amid “GMA”’s wholesome image.
It's this behind-the-scenes drama that is said to have led to the pair’s "indefinite" replacement on the show, and the announcement today that the two had “the day off” sparked plenty of chatter on social media, with many users reading between the lines of the announcement.
For their part, Robach and Holmes are said to be "not ashamed" of their relationship, characterizing it as "two consenting adults, who ended up loving each other,” according to sources at ABC.
Some online have echoed this, criticizing the uproar as needlessly puritanical.
After all, Robach's and Holmes' relationship lacks the usual hallmarks of a media-industry sex scandal: It’s fully consensual, both parties are on an equal footing in their job's power structure, and their marriages seem to have mostly been over in practice, even if not on paper.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Good Morning America moves forward with Robach and Holmes in the future — if it does at all.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.