Nearly eight years before T.J. Holmes and coanchor Amy Robach’s relationship status made headlines, the former CNN personality gushed about the sanctity of marriage.
“Marriage gets a bad rap so many times,” Holmes, 45, previously told Entertainment Tonight in 2014, during a past audition for the TV program. “I’m such a marriage proponent. I want everybody to get married. I think everybody should and I think you’re better off in doing so.”
Holmes married attorney Marilee Fiebig — with whom he shares 9-year-old daughter Sabine — nearly four years earlier. However, their relationship status was questioned late last month after the BET alum and Robach, 49, were spotted looking cozy in a series of photos published by the Daily Mail. Robach — who married Andrew Shue in 2010 — and Holmes have yet to publicly address the snaps and Us Weekly reached out for comment.
Robach — who shares two daughters with ex-husband Tim McIntosh — and Holmes have cohosted GMA3: What You Need to Know since September 2020, alongside Dr. Jennifer Ashton. Despite being married to other people, Holmes’ relationship with Robach blossomed through the years.
“They always had a spark and their work trips away together brought them even closer,” a source exclusively told Us last month of the two cohosts and running buddies. “They have been trying to keep their relationship a secret until they were ready to announce.”
Holmes — who coparents daughter Brianna and son Jaiden with ex-wife Amy Ferson — and Robach have since returned to Good Morning America’s third-hour broadcasts as usual on Thursday, December 1, and Friday, December 2, but did not address the controversy.
“Amy and T.J. have been arriving to work pretending like everything is normal, they have been carrying on like they would any other day,” a second insider told Us earlier this month. “The GMA staff, for the most part, all knew that something was happening between Amy and T.J., they were always playful with each other, like two people who were dating. Amy and T.J. didn’t seem like they were trying to keep their relationship secret anymore, everyone around the office could tell there was a spark between them for many months.”
As the two NBC personalities continued to cover the news on GMA3, several of their on-air comments turned heads in light of the scandal.
“We could use some [words of wisdom],” Robach — who is stepmother to Shue’s three sons with ex-wife Jennifer Hageney — quipped during Friday’s broadcast, pointedly looking at her cohost.
“Well, you know, we’re in the holiday season, and this is a time where we’re around families and sometimes we can end up being compared involuntarily,” author Nona Jones told the pair during their “Faith Friday” segment. “Perfection is not in the eye of the beholder. Perfection is in the eye of the creator. We were created perfect, so no matter what somebody says about you, you were created perfect, and you have to own that truth.”
Holmes was particularly moved by Jones’ pearls of wisdom. “I know what she’s about to say. She’s about to say that just gave her chills,” the former MSNBC correspondent said of Robach. “But it’s rare that I get to say it. That gave me chills as well, and it’s a timely message for a lot of folks right now, including the two folks you’re sitting in front of, so we absolutely appreciate that, Nona.”
Neither Holmes nor Robach have addressed the status of their respective marriages but have since deleted their social media accounts. Shue, 55, for his part, also scrubbed his Instagram profile of any photos of the journalist.
