Talk about a grand opening and grand closing! Good Morning America may officially say “goodbye” to allegedly adulterous anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach.
Source: Noam Galai / Getty
The pair have been on hiatus since their rumored relationship made headlines while married to other people. Us Weekly reports GMA will permanently drop T.J. and Amy from hosting its third hour, but not without a fight from the controversial co-hosts.
“Amy and T.J are out, a decision has been made,” a source confirmed. “The network is negotiating with them on their exit deals and an announcement.”
ABC pulled T.J. and Amy off the air after they returned to work as a couple
T.J. and Amy nonchalantly returned to work as a couple a day after their PDA pictures went viral, but ABC quickly pulled the plug. Network executives took them off the air in December. Although the relationship “is not a violation of company policy,” ABC News President Kim Godwin made the announcement because the early morning mess became an “internal and external distraction.”
A series of temporary hosts, including DeMarco Morgan and Rihannon Ally, has filled in for GMA3. ABC reportedly kept T.J. and Amy off the air for weeks while looking into the details of the relationship. T.J. was also investigated for alleged workplace affairs with a GMA producer and “at least one other staffer.”
If Holmes dated other colleagues and violated company policy with staff who worked beneath him, that could be enough to send him packing. According to Page Six, ABC might only plan to fire half of the daytime duo.
“They have not been terminated yet, but I don’t expect T.J. to be on again. They do want Amy to stay and be a part of things there, but likely not on GMA3,” a source said.
Amy and T.J. lawyer up for a lawsuit if they lose their jobs
While ABC decides what to do with Amy and T.J., they have secured serious legal representation. The kissing co-workers are prepared to sue in the event that ABC News keeps them off the air or fires them. TMZ reports Amy hired Hollywood civil rights attorney Andrew Brettler, and TJ retained Eric George, who represented several celebrities in high-profile cases.
The anchors say they’re not just in limbo. They claim ABC kept them in the dark about why they are still not back on GMA3. They claim the hiatus contradicts internal announcements that there would be no disciplinary action.
Maybe everyone underestimated how long pictures of TJ and Amy skinning and grinning in public would go viral. Twitter detectives pulled up several clips of the married co-hosts that seemed to prove they shared a lot more than a news desk.
The heavy hitter lawyers called out ABC, saying that any discipline of the interracial couple would be blatant racial discrimination.
“Has ABC ever used the morals or conduct clause to fire or discipline 2 consenting adults at equal levels when both were white?” the attorneys asked.
ABC’s rumored plans to only let go of TJ definitely seem unfair at first glance. However, Amy doesn’t have a history of reportedly violating company policy with subordinates.
Do you think T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach should return to their Good Morning America hosting gigs?
