Good Morning America anchor Michael Strahan may have taken additional time away from television to spend with family amid recent events.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer appeared during this past weekend’s Fox NFL Sunday pre-game and post-game coverage of the Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys playoff game.
However, Strahan was absent from ABC’s GMA episodes for the first half of this week after making several appearances at the end of the previous week.
Those appearances featured Strahan’s 19-year-old daughter, Isabella, as she talked about her brain cancer tumor diagnosis and ongoing treatments.
On Wednesday, January 17, Strahan shared a social media update showing fans and viewers a family event he recently attended.
Taking to Instagram, the New York Giants defensive legend shared a video of himself seated next to his mother, Louise Strahan, for her birthday.
Strahan shares an update amid his GMA absences
In his video, Strahan sang Happy Birthday to his mother as a man walked over to her and placed a cake with candles before her.
“Thank you. That’s a German chocolate cake!” she remarked at the dessert.
Another slide on Strahan’s post included him posing with an arm around his mother. The third slide showed a bag from Albany in the Bahamas with a wrapped gift, a birthday card, and a beautiful bouquet.
Additional slides show some of the food they enjoyed and a close-up of the cake with “Happy Birthday Momma” written on top in icing.
“Happy birthday to my momma!! So much fun celebrating you! Momma got a spa day and a great meal!! Love you, Lou!! ❤️” Strahan wrote in his Instagram caption.
Strahan didn’t indicate where the celebration happened, but it may have been somewhere other than New York, as his mother enjoyed her special day.
The recent Instagram share arrived almost a week after Strahan’s daughter Isabella first revealed her brain cancer diagnosis on GMA.
Her battle with the health situation arrived in the latter months of 2023, with Strahan missing nearly three weeks of TV appearances. It was revealed via a statement that the GMA was away for a “personal family matter.”
Strahan was replaced on recent GMA episodes
As Monsters and Critics reported, Strahan missed GMA on Monday and Tuesday. Gito Benitez filled in for him alongside George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, and other ABC anchors.
Benitez was among those who dropped by Strahan’s IG post comments to wish his mother a happy birthday.
“We love LOUUUUUUUU. HAPPY birthday beautiful lady. I hope you were spoiled rotten!” Lara Spencer commented.
“Happy Birthday to that gorgeous woman!!” Benitez wrote.
Deborah Roberts and Sam Champion also commented with festive emojis and birthday greetings.
As of this report, there’s no indication of when Strahan might return to ABC’s GMA. He last appeared on the Thursday, January 11, and Friday, January 12, episodes of the program, both of which featured segments about his daughter’s battle with her brain cancer tumor.
As previously mentioned, Strahan appeared at his other gig with Fox on Sunday in Los Angeles. His home state of New York was experiencing winter weather conditions, making travel difficult for many people.
Strahan didn’t indicate whether he’ll return for any GMA episodes this week.