During a town hall meeting on racism, current host of “Good Morning America” told audience members that he felt intimidated and relegated because of his race when he was working on “Live with Kelly” alongside Kelly Ripa.
The former cohost of “Live” was joined by Disney CEO Bob Iger and spoke to employees of ABC and Disney. The town hall meeting took place earlier this month, but the information has only now been released via insider reports.
One participant relayed how Strahan said there were multiple occasions where he felt uncomfortable and intimidated by studio executives. Not only did they raise their voices and order around the host, but also they took advantage of the fact that Strahan had little choice but to take the abuse.
It is said that Strahan worried that he would be perceived as a danger when he raised his voice in response, mainly because of his figure and race. His point is especially poignant in a world where anti-racist protests rage on over the globe after the death of George Floyd.
The participants all said that Strahan never mentioned the show by name, but it was clear that he was referring to his former gig based on the contents of his words.
Earlier this year in January, the former host had already talked about the difficulties he had hosting “Live” with Ripa. He also shared how he went in thinking he would be treated as a cohost, not as an African American sidekick to Ripa.
In the same interview, Strahan disclosed the complete lack of personal interaction between him and his cohost. Although he emphasized that he respected the talents of his cohost, Strahan did share how Ripa did not meet with him before his public and noisy departure from the show.
The town hall took place before allegations of racism over ABC’s Barbara Fedida surfaced. ABC has suspended her from appearing on broadcast as they launch an investigation into the allegations.
Meanwhile, ABC news chief James Goldston has reportedly held meetings with his African American colleagues on a regular basis, while the new leader of Disney TV encouraged all employees to watch the video of the said town hall where Strahan spoke.
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Replaced!