The bond between Good Morning America co-hosts T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach reportedly grew after he helped her through a difficult time, described by one insider as a “heartache” separation from her husband.
The source told PEOPLE that “Amy was going through a heartache and TJ was very much there for her and helpful, and that is when they started something.”
Shue and Robach have since come close to “finalizing” the divorce in the wake of the scandal, according to RadarOnline. The couple reportedly split earlier this summer with Shue moving out of their NYC home, which was sold just weeks before her relationship with Holmes came to light.
However, it appears Holmes’ was still very much married at the time of the illicit workplace tryst, to the timeline of the scandal, given the timeline provided by the source.
“GMA” Workplace Affair Began After Robach’s “Heartache” During Split With Husband, Source Says
The “GMA 3” anchors’ relationship went public on Wednesday after photos emerged of the two of them getting cozy on a vacation in upset New York, holding hands in a car, and enjoying each other at a New York City bar, The Shade Room previously reported.
The source adds that Robach, 49, and Holmes’ relationship was “the worst kept secret in ABC News,” and that they “had no shame going out together and have been publicly doing this for much longer than a month.”
“Staffers are very surprised it took this long to come out,” the insider adds. “Everyone was turning a blind eye because they didn’t want the controversy surrounding the show.
They were both separated so they felt very comfortable dating in the open after that. Their spouses had moved out, even! So they were not hiding anything.”
A source had previously told the outlet that there was no overlap between the co-hosts’ marriages and ensuing romance.
Insider Says Robach Has “Nothing To Hide” And Was Separated At The Time She Started Seeing Holmes
“This was two consenting adults who were each separated. They both broke up with their spouses in August within weeks of each other,” the insider said of Robach and Holmes, who has been married to attorney Marilee Fiebig since 2010. “The relationship didn’t start until after that.”
Robach, who married actor Andrew Shue back in 2010, has “got nothing to hide,” the insider said, adding “they were both separated so they felt very comfortable dating in the open after that.”
“Their spouses had moved out, even! So they were not hiding anything.”
Holmes Quickly Struck Up Close Connection With Robach Upon Joining “GMA” In 2014
In 2014, Holmes joined the “GMA” team and quickly struck up a close relationship with Robach, who had previously told PEOPLE about their friendship.
“[They] said, ‘Hey, we want to bring on a co-anchor. What do you think of T.J. Holmes?’ And I almost fell out of my chair,” she said. “My God. You couldn’t have picked a better person to ask me what I thought of, because we’ve been trying to figure out a way to work together for literally the last five years.”
Robach went on to tell the outlet about their double dates with Shue and Holmes’ now-estranged wife, immigration lawyer Marilee Fiebig.
“The moment he started at ABC, I think we just clicked. We’ve gone on tons of double dates with our spouses and my daughters babysit his daughters,” she said at the time.
Scandal Has Helped “GMA” Ratings As ABC Execs Hold “Emergency Meetings” Amidst Emerging Affair Details
The scandal has apparently done wonders for the show’s ratings, as reported by The Shade Room Thursday, and has caused ABC execs to hold “emergency meetings” as details of their workplace tryst begin to emerge.
Holmes’ even posted a bizarre anniversary tribute to Fiebig several years ago where he said he’s given her plenty of “reasons, opportunities and excuses” to leave the marriage, The Shade Room reported.
