In the aftermath of former GMA3 co-hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ workplace affair, the massive attention surrounding the situation seems to have mostly subsided. The two anchors have been mostly laying low as they look for new jobs. Meanwhile, ABC News tapped Eve Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan as their successors. All parties involved are likely relieved that such public scrutiny has relatively passed, especially the alphabet network. However, a public relations expert thinks all of that negative press was greatly the result of the media company mishandling the situation.
The reported affair came to light near the end of 2022, when the two media personalities were photographed getting cozy while on an excursion. T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach were eventually pulled from their broadcast, and ABC News opted to launch an internal investigation. Edward Coram-James – a head honcho for PR firm GoUp – believes the latter decision was a crucial mistake on the part of the network. From his point of view, that merely "multiplied the fallout and increased the length.” Coram-James also explained why he believes the affair, on its own, wouldn’t have done much damage to the brand in the long run:
There are occasions where this is a good idea, especially when the allegations made include serious wrongdoing (in which case the institution has to be seen to be acting responsibly). Affairs are not one of those occasions. In my opinion, ABC made a significant (albeit common) error here. I don’t believe that the two principals needed to move on from ABC. As unfortunate and inappropriate as affairs are, they are a normal part of life. The audience will likely have quickly moved on.
The public relations professional made these comments and more while sitting down with The U.S. Sun to reflect on the discourse surrounding T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach. All in all, his argument seems to be that the situation only became a big deal because the network made it one. His contention is that because affairs are common within society, viewers would’ve eventually gotten over the turn of events. Edward Coram-James noted that extramarital relationship-related controversies are par for the course in his line of work. Yet he also says “how bad, and how long it lasts, is largely down to your crisis comms response.” In his experience, a company like ABC will:
… go on the defensive and try to distance themselves from the principal, seeing this as the best way to protect themselves. … This rarely works. By parting ways, the network and the principals are again lending credibility to the idea that there’s a crisis, and inflating the level of crisis. There was no need for it to be a scandal.
While opinions on these arguments will surely vary, it’s reasonable to say the affair did shake up Good Morning America – and ABC News as a whole. In December, amid the investigation, the head of the latter entity – Kim Godwin provided an update on the matter. She herself acknowledged in her statement that “the continuing coverage can be distracting from the incredibly important work our team does.” As the internal probe continued, it was reported that employees began to blame Godwin for the prolonged drama. The ordeal was wrapped up in January, with a leaked internal email confirming the stars’ exits.
As for Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, they signed their exit agreements at the end of January and have since been aiming to land new gigs. Sources claim they’ve been passed on by major networks and TV shows since they parted ways with their former employers. One expert theorized that they’ll need to get jobs sooner rather than later, because their careers will suffer the longer they’re out of work. However, Edward Coram-James believes the couple “will be fine.”
Whether ABC News and Good Morning America are actually to blame for the fallout from Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ romance is up to interpretation. It’s certainly possible that the investigation and other decisions made by the entertainment conglomerate fanned the flames of controversy. But then again, the massive amount of attention may have simply been inevitable no matter how the execs proceeded.
