GMA3 hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes have been removed from air amid allegations about the pair having an affair.
Kim Goodwin, the president of ABC News, had an internal call with staff today where she announced that Robach and Holmes will not be returning to host their 1 PM daily slot for the timebeing.
She said that the claims about their affair had turned into too much of an “internal and external distraction”, and said, “After a lot of thought, I am taking Amy and T.J. off the air as we figure this out.”
The alleged affair between Amy and T.J. was reportedly “not a violation of company policy,” but it has caused so much commotion that it’s believed not taking the duo off the air could hinder ABC’s brand.
Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez hosted today’s GMA3 while the network meets to further decide how to go about the scandal.
It is not known who will host the show on an ongoing basis, or when Amy and T.J. will return, although Daily Mail, who was first to report the story, said they had been taken off air “indefinitely”.
‘Both Amy and T.J. left their spouses’
The alleged affair between Amy and T.J. first made the news last week when the two were spotted together attending bars in the area near ABC’s Midtown studios.
There has been various speculation about when the pair’s alleged romance began, but sources close to the duo are reported as saying nothing serious began until August when both parties left their spouses.
GMA anchor Robin Roberts ‘confronted’ pair about claims
GMA anchor Robin Roberts is previously said to have confronted both Amy and T.J. about the affair after hearing rumors, but T.J. reportedly shot the claims down.
An insider told Page Six that Robin “pulled them both aside and basically said, ‘Stop it.”
Despite the allegations against Amy and T.J., some sources close to the show insist they did not actually have an affair.
One source said that T.J. was horrified by Robin’s accusation and immediately went to speak to former GMA executive producer Michael Corn about the situation.
According to the source, T.J. did this because “it was absolutely not true, and it freaked them out. Amy and T.J.’s friendship took a hit when the rumors started.”
It has also been alleged that T.J. previously had a three-year affair with Natasha Singh, a married Good Morning America producer, which began in 2016.