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Two prominent ABC anchors are officially gone from the company after news of their tawdry affair became known.
The network announced on Friday that anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach would be leaving ABC with an agreement “signed, executed, and done.”
“After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes about different options, we all agreed it’s best for everyone that they move on from ABC News,” a spokesperson for the Network informed The New York Post.
“We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions,” the spokesperson said.
Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, sent an email to staff that was obtained by The New York Post in which she described the two anchors as a “distraction.”
“I want to share with you that we’ve reached a decision about T.J. and Amy,” she said.
“I know that this has been a distraction for so many of us, but let’s not forget all the great work that continues to make ABC News the #1 news network in America, and that’s because of you,” the ABC News president said.
“I want to thank you again for your patience and professionalism during this time,” she said.
The Daily Mail photographed the pair embracing, with Robach’s legs wrapped around Holmes, hours after their departure was announced.
The pair both wore sunglasses in the January sunshine as they walked down the street, and didn’t seem to care when another person walked directly behind them during their embrace.
Robach and Holmes’ afternoon antics are a sign they are free to go about their ‘new normal’ after weeks of firestorm and fallouts over their affair, which ABC bosses referred to as ‘a distraction for so many of us.’
The co-hosts first sparked headlines after they were caught in November looking cozy as they hung out together in New York City.
They were accused of having an affair before Holmes officially filed for divorce in January. Robach’s divorce is all but finalized.
The affair between the two who were married to other people was discovered in November 2021, The New York Post reported.
“They have a very cozy relationship on air, but that is what is expected. But they were very careful behind the scenes to keep their affair secret. The producers at ‘GMA’ are shocked to hear they are having an affair,” a source said to The Post.
In other departure news for the network ABC News chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega is ditching the network to join rival CBS News as a correspondent for 60 Minutes. Vega, who has served as a White House reporter for many years, will be joining the Sunday-night newsmagazine show.
“Cecilia Vega is a sensational reporter and storyteller. I have admired her work for a long, long time and couldn’t be more excited to welcome her to 60 MINUTES. Her new colleagues couldn’t agree more,” Bill Owens, executive producer of 60, said in a statement.
“Vega joins the distinguished team of correspondents at 60 Minutes from ABC News, where she has most recently distinguished herself as ABC’s chief White House correspondent and one of the nation’s leading political reporters. She also anchored several broadcasts, including “Good Morning America” and the Saturday edition of “World News Tonight,” and has reported on every major story of the last decade, including the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster and the papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. She has conducted hundreds of high-profile interviews with political newsmakers, world leaders, and celebrities and traveled the globe to report stories of national and international significance,” CBS News reported.
“Vega’s experience spans coverage of both sides of the aisle and all branches of government. Her coverage of the Trump administration included frequent news-making exchanges with the president and administration officials, especially during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. At the Trump White House, Vega also covered three Supreme Court nominations, the firing of FBI director James Comey, the Mueller report, and both of President Trump’s impeachment trials. Her on-the-ground reporting in 2021 from the U.S.-Mexico border offered a poignant look at the dangerous journeys migrants make in reaching the United States. This reporting and first-person interviews with migrants seeking asylum allowed Vega to press President Biden during his first press conference about whether his administration’s seemingly muddled messaging on immigration was triggering the uptick in border crossings,” the outlet added.
