ABC News hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach’s extramarital cheating scandal has already been “a blow to the Disney brand,” and according to a crisis management guru, they may be permanently in Mickey Mouse’s doghouse.
“They are known for a certain ethical behavior,” said Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants.
“I think Amy and TJ’s careers could be asphyxiated by Disney and Good Morning America,” Schiffer said. “I think if they were on a different network, they might have continued. In fact, the ratings might have been better.”
The Walt Disney Company, ABC’s corporate owner, positions itself as a profitable, family-friendly global brand. But the ongoing tabloid scandal involving Holmes and Robach, who hosts GMA3’s flagship Good Morning America, is far from a good fit for Disney viewers. A series of sensational reports, photos and videos suggested that Holmes and Robach were calling it quits after having an affair with each other.
“GMA3” anchors TJ Holmes and Amy Robach have been fired from ABC News after their extramarital affair was revealed.
(Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images)
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ABC News insiders initially insisted that the lovebirds were adults and that the affair was consensual, so they would not face disciplinary action. However, they were pulled from their shows, and ABC News president Kim Godwin told staff on Monday morning that the “distraction” had become too important. For now, Holmes and Robach are on the sidelines until ABC figures out its next step, but insiders believe Disney stepped in when the case became too big to ignore.
“I think Disney made this decision to protect the integrity and a certain ethical standard that they want to happen,” Schiffer said.
A crisis management guru in Los Angeles has also heard rumblings about it echo New York Post reports Holmes is no stranger to betrayal.
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ABC’s “GMA3: What You Need To Know” hosts TJ Holmes and Amy Robach’s extramarital affair made front page news in the New York Post.
(New York Post)
“My sources indicate that, you know, it’s with the staff, it’s not his first case, it’s a series of cases,” Schiffer said, adding that ABC News staffers had raised internal concerns.
The scandal drew national attention, made the front page of the New York Post and dominated tabloid news in recent days. Disney CEO Bob Iger, married to former “GMA” host Willow Bay, shocked the industry last month when he came out of retirement to take back the gig. Iger succeeded his successor, Bob Chapek, in 2020, but oversaw a tumultuous period with cultural and political contradictions engulfing the company.
Less than a month after Iger’s return, the Daily Mail reported that “GMA3” hosts Holmes and Robach “were both engaged in a passionate romance despite being married to their spouses for the past 12 years.” .
Amy Robach and TJ Holmes run in the TCS Marathon on November 06, 2022 in New York City.
(New York Road Runners via Brian Bedder/Getty Images)
The bombshell story includes several candid photos of the lunchtime anchors taken throughout November, and the New York Post has come out with an onslaught of exclusives, including Holmes and Robach “starting their alleged romance while training for the New York City Half Marathon in March. but did not leave their spouses Andrew Shue and Marilee Fiebig until August.
Schiffer believes the controversy could have brought new viewers to the daytime program and helped make Holmes and Robach household names, but he doesn’t think that will happen at the Disney-owned company.
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“We’re not going to see that, mostly because of who Disney is as a big brand and the secondary influence, while they’ve restructured leadership with Iger. They’re going to play it more conservatively. It’s temporary,” Schiffer said.
Amy Robach and TJ Holmes will attend the 2022 ABC Disney Upfront.
(Arturo Holmes/WireImage)
“Disney has a different standard of ethical expectations for how people, especially executives, behave. And those are the representatives of the brand,” Schiffer continued. “They also represent another standard of what is expected of employees, producers and employees.”
Schiffer believes that these considerations, combined with Holmes’ alleged betrayal, will force Disney executives to take a “conservative” approach and focus on long-term brand value. While Holmes and Robach may not be around for long on Disney’s ABC TV show, Schiffer doesn’t think their careers are burned out forever.
“I think there’s a chance for one or both of them to find another way. But we also live in a day and age where it’s easy for them to go to YouTube and become their own person and [host] They have their own shows and maybe podcasts,” he said. “We’re seeing more and more talent doing just that. What used to be the end of the road when this kind of behavior happened has now become a launching pad for a second act.”
Robach has been married to former Melrose Place star Andrew Shue for 12 years. Holmes has been married to Fiebig since 2010. Both marriages are reportedly ending.
Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez will fill in as “GMA3” hosts.