Michael Strahan left Live With Kelly and Michael six years ago, and he joined Good Morning America with great public notice. Even now, the circumstances behind his leaving and the dispute with co-host Kelly Ripa continue to fascinate people. Not only was Strahan’s decision to depart surprising, but it was rather nasty. Originally supposed to leave three months later, he left sooner than expected, apparently surprising Ripa. Her reaction to the news was so strong that she took a week-long break from the program, which said volumes about her emotions on the subject.
Ripa answered her brief absence when she got back, but her remarks were measured and cautious. “I needed a few days to gather my thoughts; after 26 years with this company, I earned the right; I acknowledged the tension while keeping specifics vague,” she said to her audience. She said, “This started a much larger conversation about communication, and consideration, and most importantly respect in the workplace.” Apologies have come through. The harm looked permanent even with this public effort to repair fences. Strahan claims that following his leaving, their friendship never really healed. Actually, the two seldom talk at all these days.
