Sometimes, silence speaks volumes. Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan haven’t spoken since he broke the news that he’s leaving Live with Kelly and Michael for Good Morning America in a meeting on Tuesday, April 19. A source reveals to Us Weekly exclusively why Strahan didn’t tell Ripa sooner about the big news, and where the soon-to-be-ex colleagues stand now.
As previously reported, Ripa was called into a meeting with Live‘s executive producer, Michael Gelman, and WABC general manager, Dave Davis, on Tuesday without knowing its purpose. Twenty minutes later, Strahan entered the room and revealed to Ripa that he was leaving their show. According to the New York Times, Ripa’s anger was directed at Davis. A separate source told Us that Ripa “stormed out” of the room after “a lot of drama happened.”
The first insider tells Us that since that fateful meeting, “Michael still hasn’t even heard a peep from her.”
The same source says the former NFL player loves working at both Live (which he joined in 2012) and GMA (where he has appeared twice a week since 2014). The insider says ABC approached Strahan first with the opportunity. While Strahan was happy at Live, the opportunity was even better at ABC’s morning show. “Of course he wanted to take it,” the insider tells Us. “Who wouldn’t?”
Then, there’s the question of why Strahan didn’t consult his work wife as these conversations were taking place. “It wasn’t his place to tell Kelly,” the insider tells Us. “The head of the network is supposed to tell the staff these things.”
Unfortunately, he did not anticipate her reaction. The source tells Us that Strahan is “definitely surprised” by how Ripa took the news. Following the debacle on Tuesday, Ripa skipped work and took a sick day before taking off officially for her pre-planned anniversary vacation. Yesterday, the bubbly blonde emerged from her NYC home smiling and tellingly clutching a copy of Malcolm Gladwell’s 2013 bestseller David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants.
Strahan publicly praised his partner-in-crime for her support. “Kelly welcomed me here, and I’ve learned so much from her, and she’s just been an amazing influence on me,” Strahan told Live viewers on Wednesday. “And this has truly changed my life to be here with her. And I know that the show will continue to be strong and great, because with Kelly and Michael Gelman and the staff — everybody here is so talented, and this show has not been around for over 30 years by mistake. Kelly, I thank you. I love you. And everyone else here at Live.”
Ripa recently celebrated her 15th anniversary on Live. Stars who have jumped to defend and support Ripa amid the ongoing debacle include her former Live cohost Regis Philbin, Oprah Winfrey and of course, her husband, Mark Consuelos.
Get all the details on the situation in the video above.