"Good Morning America" anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes will remain off the air while ABC News conducts an internal review of their off-air romantic relationship.
The ABC News co-hosts, who were recently accused of cheating on their spouses with each other, anchor the daily news program's third hour and have been off the air for weeks since their relationship came to light in late November.
According to an email to staffers obtained Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times, ABC News president Kim Godwin addressed the broadcast brouhaha swirling around the anchors and dogging the network.
"I understand that the continuing coverage can be distracting from the incredibly important work our team does here at ABC News," Godwin wrote. "Amy and T.J. will remain off-air pending the completion of an internal review, and there will be a rotation of anchors at GMA3 for the time being.
"It is my hope that we will continue to focus our energy on what we do best, and I want all of you to know how immensely proud I am of your hard work and professionalism," Godwin wrote.
ABC News correspondents Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos, and journalists DeMarco Morgan and Rhiannon Ally have filled in on "GMA 3: What You Need to Know" opposite regular co-host Jennifer Ashton. When Benitez and Ramos first stepped in last week, Ramos reported at the top of the hour that Robach and Holmes "have the day off." (The pair have not been suspended, the L.A. Times has confirmed.)
That episode aired just days after Page Six reported that Robach, 49, and Holmes, 45 — both married to other people — had been engaged in "an alleged months-long affair," and the Daily Mail published photos of the co-workers getting close in New York City.
Holmes and Robach deactivated their Instagram accounts and have remained silent since the initial allegations and photos surfaced.
The fill-ins are expected to change based on availability.
Earlier this month, Godwin informed her staff that Robach and Holmes would be temporarily taken off the air as the network navigated the scandal.
"I want to say that while that relationship is not a violation of company policy, I have really taken the last few days to think about and work through what I think is best for the ABC News organization," Godwin said on an editorial call.
"These decisions are not easy, they're not knee-jerk, but they are necessary for the brand and for our priority ... the people here at ABC. ... I'm asking that we stop the whispering in the hallways. You know, we can't operate with gossip and speculation and rumors. We need to stay focused on the work."
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(Los Angeles Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report.)
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