Michael Strahan may be a fan favorite when it comes to daytime television, but this week industry vet Kelly Ripa let it be known that when it comes to the way he does business, there’s much to be desired.
This week in a candid new interview with Variety, Ripa, who is nearing 20 years on Live!, reflected on the way her four years working next to Strahan (2012 to 2016) abruptly ended without him showing her the basic “respect” that she would hope from any colleague.
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At the time, a source close to Ripa said she felt incredibly “blindsided,” when it was abruptly announced that her cohost would be jumping ship for a gig on another ABC show, Good Morning America — news that she found out from the press and not from him directly.
In response, the now 50-year-old took a day off to gather her thoughts and then came back to very directly address Strahan’s departure with the audience, explaining the necessity of “communication, consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace.”
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“I heard from all of them,” she explained to Variety about the praise she received from her female peers after her public demand for respect.
“I don’t think there was an on-air woman that I didn’t hear from: either a personal letter or an email or a text or DM. It’s so easy to think that it’s just you. But you’d be amazed how many people don’t feel seen or heard at all.”
As for her current feelings about that lack of respect Strahan showed her she explained, “I didn’t kick up a fuss; it wasn’t a big thing; I was just like, I’m not doing this. If I’m not worthy of a discussion, if I’m not worthy of you running this conversation by me — it was outrageous.”
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