Three years ago, Michael Strahan made headlines when he announced his departure from the daytime talk show “Live with Kelly and Michael.” His co-host, Kelly Ripa, was reportedly blindsided by this news, and their once strong on-screen chemistry seemed to disappear overnight.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, Michael opened up about his strained relationship with Kelly. He revealed that they haven’t spoken in a long time, which comes as a surprise considering their past success on the show.
Michael’s decision to join ABC’s Good Morning America in 2016 caused a rift between him and Kelly. It was rumored that she had no idea what was happening and was unhappy with how everything unfolded. This rift became headline news, and although time has passed, their relationship has not been repaired. Michael admitted, “I haven’t spoken to her in a long time.”
Before his departure, Michael had been a co-host on “Live” since 2012, and he also contributed to Good Morning America starting in 2014. When the opportunity arose for him to become a full-time co-host on GMA, he couldn’t pass it up. However, he didn’t inform Kelly beforehand, and she was upset by his sudden departure. She took a nearly one-week leave, which ABC referred to as a “pre-scheduled vacation.”
Upon her return, Kelly addressed the situation indirectly, emphasizing the importance of communication, consideration, and respect in the workplace. Despite her attempts to address the issue, Michael’s fractured relationship with Kelly remained.
After Michael left, “Live” had multiple guest co-hosts before Ryan Seacrest eventually took over permanently. Meanwhile, Michael stayed busy with co-hosting duties on the third hour of Good Morning America and the “Fox NFL Sunday” show. He also produces and stars in the game show ” $100,000 Pyramid.”
The public had mixed reactions to their rift, with some firmly supporting Michael and criticizing Kelly’s behavior. Others believed that Michael didn’t owe her any explanation and that it was simply a business decision. One commenter even mentioned that the head of Disney had asked Michael to keep his move to GMA a secret to avoid alerting the competition.
Despite the past success they had together, it seems that Michael and Kelly’s relationship may never be the same. Sometimes, even in the world of television, friendships can fade away, and people move on to new opportunities.
