The two 'GMA3' anchors are not returning to ABC News following their workplace romance, ABC officially announced.
The fate of T. J. Holmes and Amy Robach at ABC has been decided. After a mediation session on Thursday, the two are officially out at GMA3 and ABC News.
A spokesperson for ABC News tells ET in a statement, "After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes about different options, we all agreed it’s best for everyone that they move on from ABC News. We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions."
Three sources told ET earlier that while exit agreements have not been signed on the dotted line, Holmes would not return to ABC, but Robach's future at the network was still unclear at the time.
"No one wanted it to come to this, but derogatory information just kept coming up. Once the investigation went several weeks, most people knew that this would be the outcome," a source told ET. "T.J. will get a payout. Ties are severed." The source added, "T.J.'s issues got all the headlines but Amy is no angel."
Another source told ET that Robach has always been professional and has taken her work and job very seriously. Regarding one report suggesting Robach had liquor in her office and drank on the job, the source explained, "It’s common to have drinks while on assignment, and or be gifted items that are more adult in nature from various entities. But the idea she was drinking on the job and showing up to work intoxicated is absurd. If that was the case, her behavior would've shown through several years ago. It’s a shock to hear all the allegations being leveled at Amy, when all she is really at fault for is falling for her colleague."
TMZ first broke the news, reporting that both anchors would receive payouts per their contracts after the "extremely contentious" mediation, with ABC reps accusing Holmes and Robach of various forms of misconduct.
ET spoke to Law & Crime President Rachel Stockman, who said that non-disclosure agreements are typical in settlements.
"It is typical, usually if there is some kind of payout, you would sign in many cases a non-disclosure agreement in those agreements -- basically there's been a lot of talk about them in the media but prevent you from talking about exactly what the settlement is," Stockman said. "So in a situation like this, I would think it would be pretty typical that there would be an NDA involved, but I do want to point out that this case really does come down to the morality clause in each of their contracts, and that's going to be the sticking point, right, on whether they're going to get a settlement or how much of the contract they're still going have to pay out, the network.
"A morality clause, it's basically a provision in a contract that a lot of talent have, and the executives have, that employers have a right to end your contract in the event that you do something that might reflect badly on the company," she continued. "Basically it does allow a little bit of gray area for both the employee and the employer because what exactly is it to look unfavorable for your company? How far do you have to go for it to be a violation of the morality clause? That's the question."
Stockman said she didn't think the settlement would hurt Holmes and Robach's ability to get hired elsewhere.
"I don't know how much this has hurt their hireability because I think a lot of people you talk to will say, 'You know what? Affairs happen in the workplace,'" she noted. "Maybe it wasn't handled correctly and clearly we don't see the results yet of the internal investigation so there could certainly be things we don't know. However, I do think their kind of behavior is something that some employers are going to be able to look past and perhaps hire them for other positions on-air or elsewhere."
Holmes, 45, and Robach, 49, made headlines in November when they were spotted showing PDA, making their once-secret romance public. At the time, the GMA3 anchors were each married to their respective partners.
A source would later reveal that Holmes, who is married to Marilee Fiebig, and Robach who is married to Andrew Shue, had separated from their spouses over the summer.
The couple -- who sat beside each other at the anchor desk daily on weekdays since 2020 -- were initially only temporarily taken off the air when their romance became public, with a source telling ET that ABC News president Kim Godwin addressed the relationship in an editorial meeting, saying their relationship "is not a violation of company policy."
That being said, the source said Godwin made the decision to take them off the air "while we figure this out."
Holmes and Robach have been off the air ever since, and in the weeks that followed, Holmes and Robach traveled together for the holidays, and Holmes filed for divorce.
On Tuesday, a source revealed to ET that ABC's inquiry into the pair's relationship hadn't reached a resolution and was "still ongoing."
"There is still no clear determination as to when the findings will be released, especially with the constant accusations being tossed T.J.'s way, and higher ups want to make sure all accusations are being addressed and taken seriously," the source explained at the time. The news came amid a new report alleging Holmes had an affair with a script coordinator at ABC who was more than a decade younger than him, after multiple alleged workplace affairs were previously reported.
The source continued, "That being said, it is business as usual for everyone at ABC. Everything has returned to normal as it can be at this time, but there is still an unsettling feeling in the air. No one knows where the investigation will lead or what Amy or T.J.’s fates ultimately will be. Everyone just wants this investigation wrapped up soon so that the production and all involved can finally move on."
Another source told ET, "This third staffer was no secret to most ABC employees, especially those at GMA who worked closely with her during that time. The question now is, will this latest revelation speed up the investigation and force ABC to decide T.J. and Amy's fates sooner rather than later?"
Another source maintained Robach did nothing wrong, and any probe into her is separate from these allegations against Holmes.
"While she continues her relationship with T.J., she very much remains focused on her career and children," the second source said. "The allegations against T.J. have nothing to do with her."
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