This is what executives at ABC feared.
Recent news reports have highlighted a messy and complicated situation at ABC News as a result of a rumored extramarital affair between “Good Morning America 3” co-hosts T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach. As if that weren’t enough to make waves in the industry, Holmes has reportedly filed for divorce from his second wife, Marilee Fiebig, after nearly 13 years of marriage.
The scandal has had far-reaching implications, both professionally and personally. On the professional side, Holmes and Robach were both benched from their respective roles pending an internal company review by the Disney-owned network. Additionally, the Daily Mail ran a story about the affair, complete with intimate photos of the two anchors, causing speculation about who might have tipped off the publication.
There are also reports that Holmes made have had an additional affair with another staff member at GMAmaking the scandal go from bad to worse.
But the ramifications of the scandal don’t end on the professional side. Both Holmes and Robach have been married for 12 years, and their respective marriages are reportedly ending. Holmes and Fiebig have one daughter together, and the recent news has been particularly difficult for her. According to an insider who spoke with Page Six, Fiebig was “blindsided” by the news of her husband’s infidelity.
The scandal has been met with strong reactions. CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King recently expressed concern for the children involved in the situation, calling the scandal “very messy and very sloppy.”
“In the beginning I actually thought good on ‘Good Morning America,’ they’re not taking them off the air, two consenting adults, but then the more you read, it’s just very messy, and I think, to me, it’s a sad situation. You’ve got kids involved, you’ve got families involved, and I keep thinking about that,” King told Bravo’s Andy Cohen. “I’m very concerned about that.”
Additionally, a former “GMA” executive suggested that the two anchors might not return to the network at all due to the “gross violation of core Disney values.”
