Why Does the ‘Good Morning America’ Affair Fascinate People?
Adultery is nothing new, yet whenever it happens in the public eye with celebrities, it transcends voyeurism. That is what’s been happening with Good Morning America co-hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes. Both are married to other people, but were recently caught in 4K being very affectionate with each other in public. Since then, their affair has become more exciting—and somehow just as controversial—as the World Cup.
As someone who has never watched GMA unless I was looking for a specific interview, I had no idea who these people were or the details of their life until recently. In less than a week, I’ve seen multiple Twitter threads showing Robach and Holmes “flirting” on air together, with body language experts (my sworn enemies) explaining all the signs we “missed.” The other partners (and children) who have now been caught up in a very public scandal are missing from the commentary, although both Robach and Holmes claim they are separated … and yet, I won’t lie. It is kind of fascinating to watch.
Sources from their camp have gone to People and said the couple has “no shame going out together and have been publicly doing this for much longer than a month.”
“Amy was going through a heartache and T.J. was very much there for her and helpful, and that is when they started something,” the insider alleged. The source noted that the pair’s relationship was “the worst kept secret in ABC News.”
via USA Today
With the MeToo movement highlighting the dangers of inter-office romance due to power differences, the fact that Holmes and Robach are equals makes it feel much less gross. They’ve worked together for years, have good on-screen chemistry, and are both very attractive. It is fascinating to see how that superficial element makes a difference in how this affair is being seen. Thinking back to the Kristen Stewart affair, imagine if one of the people involved was dating someone more famous. Or if only one of them was engaging in an alleged affair, and they got caught?
On Monday, Holmes and Robach were not on the air. Yahoo confirmed that “ABC News President Kim Godwin told employees during an editorial call on Monday that while Holmes and Robach’s consensual relationship ‘is not a violation of company policy,’ the network is trying to ‘work through what’s best’ for the organization as the pair’s relationship has become a distraction. It’s unclear how long Robach and Holmes will sit out the broadcast as a source says, telling Yahoo it’s a ‘day by day’ situation.”
There have also been those looking to see if Holmes had any other affairs, and some questioning if Holmes and Robach should be penalized for their alleged relationship. It feels like an extension of our parasocial world, where celebrity of any kind makes people hungry to dissect your life and actions. Rather than it being a personal drama that tabloids got a hold of, it is another reality television drama that we can’t stop hearing about.
(featured image: Bryan Bedder/New York Road Runners via Getty Images)
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