Michael Strahan is leaving Live! With Kelly and Michael! earlier than expected.
Strahan was supposed to leave the show over the summer. Now, the former NFL star will step down on May 13th.
He revised his departure date following the alleged Kelly Ripa boycott. According to reports, Live! producers are going to use Strahan’s early departure to find a replacement over the summer. It will also give Strahan the summer off before starting Good Morning America in September.
This news comes only hours after Kelly Ripa returned to Live! after allegedly boycotting the show after news surfaced of Strahan’s departure.
Apparently, Kelly Ripa was so unhappy, she didn’t even show up to work for several days. Leaving Strahan to walk out with several replacements. According to CNN, Kelly Ripa has reportedly received an apology from network executives following the whole incident. According to reports, the executives “expressed regret for the way Kelly was told the news.”
She announced her return in an email to staffers on Friday. “(Sorry for this late Friday night email). I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process this new information. Your kindness, support, and love has overwhelmed me,” she wrote. “We are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday morning. Love, Kelly.”
When Kelly finally returned to Live! Ripa bashed ABC executives for keeping her out of the loop during the Good Morning America negotiations. “What transpired over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace,” she said.
Via THR
