Amid recent layoffs and Robin Roberts’ absence from Good Morning America studios in NYC, some may believe it’s due to issues with her co-stars.
Recent online rumors indicated that Robin and co-anchor George Stephanopoulos don’t get along.
The duo has worked together at GMA for many years. Robin became a co-anchor in 2005, and George joined in 2009.
Michael Strahan became a third co-anchor with Robin and George six years later. The trio continues to make up the primary GMA team of anchors for weekday episodes.
However, Michael has been missing from GMA for the past week, and Robin traveled from New York to another state.
George remained one of the three anchors alongside different co-stars in the shakeup amid rumors of a “chilly” relationship with Robin.
ABC News shut down rumors about George and Robin’s ‘chilly’ relationship at GMA
A recent report suggested a “chill” between Robin and George on the GMA set, and they might not interact much beyond what viewers see on television.
“The chill between colleagues — on and off camera — is best summed up by the fact that George Stephanopoulos stares down at his phone on the set of GMA and plays chess instead of talking to, or even looking at, his co-host Robin Roberts,” Breaker Media reported, according to The Sun.
According to the outlet’s report, ABC News’ culture is also “secretive and cold.” ABC News broadcasts GMA.
However, The Sun reportedly received a statement from an ABC News spokesperson shutting down the recent rumors.
“This is unfounded, ridiculous gossip designed to get clicks and nothing more,” the spokesperson said.
The latest rumors about Robin and George arrived soon after layoffs affected dozens of staffers at GMA and GMA3, and a report indicated the two programs would merge into one production unit.
These moves were reportedly to address declining ratings for television news as many individuals consume content online and via streaming platforms.
Soon after that report, rumors suggested that many individuals were upset behind the scenes about the layoffs and blamed George, Robin, and Michael for having such hefty salaries.
George appeared at GMA studio as his co-stars missed multiple episodes this week
Robin appeared alongside George at the start of the week, with Linsey Davis replacing Michael Strahan.
Michael typically takes Mondays off during the NFL season due to his work on Fox NFL Sundays. However, the NFL season ended weeks ago. Michael remained absent from GMA for the remainder of this week.
While Robin was on Monday’s episode, she was noticeably absent from Tuesday’s GMA. George appeared at the desk with Mary Bruce and Whit Johnson as co-anchors.
Wednesday, March 19, featured only George from the regular GMA anchors. Whit and Linsey Davis filled in for Michael and Robin, respectively.
While Robin was absent from GMA’s studio in New York City, she appeared for several reports from Miami, Florida, to cover the recent Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league championship.
As of this writing, it’s unknown if viewers will see Michael, Robin, and George as the GMA anchors for the Monday, March 24 episode.