T.J. Holmes Reflects On How Amy Robach Saved Him From ‘Depression’ During ‘Darkest’ Period Of His Life
T.J. Holmes revealed one of the darkest moments of his life during Monday’s episode of the “Amy & T.J.” podcast.
The former “Good Morning America” co-anchor opened up about how he once battled depression and how his then co-worker on the show turned girlfriend, Amy Robach, was instrumental to his recovery.
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes made headlines in 2022 when their workplace romance was revealed, promptly leading to ABC’s axing of the duo.
T.J. Holmes Reveals He Slept On The Streets Instead Of Going Home
Holmes began by recollecting how far he had deteriorated mentally during the dark moment, even though, on the outside, he was flying high in his career path.
“Thoughts of suicide, abuse of alcohol. I didn’t realize how bad off I was,” the 46-year-old shared, per Page Six. “I would walk back and forth in the middle of the night because I didn’t wanna go home. And I would just walk the streets.”
At the time, Holmes was married to his ex-wife, Marilee Fiebig, whom he eventually divorced after his affair with Robach.
The American journalist also shared that he had been diagnosed with “moderately severe depression” in 2015. However, Holmes claimed that he was unaware of the severity of his condition until he began sleeping on the street as if he were homeless. He then specifically mentioned a bench on 14th Street, just west of Union Square, as one of such spots.
He added, “I was the best-dressed homeless man you have ever seen in your life.”
The Former Anchor Says Amy Robach Became His Safe Place
During the conversation, Holmes revealed that Robach became his anchor while he battled with the “awful” depression, adding that he looked forward to seeing her at work each day.
“She is seeing me the way nobody else was, and it became an issue where I would leave home to go to the studio, but what it really felt like is I was leaving home and going home –– which was Amy Robach,” he shared.
Holmes added that Robach “wouldn’t let me slide on anything” and then gave her “credit” for “literally helping save” his life.
Meanwhile, Robach noted that she knew Holmes was “struggling” and chose to be a helpful friend. According to her, this marked the turning point in their relationship, from co-workers to friends and eventually entering a clandestine relationship.
Amy Robach And T.J. Holmes Reveal Why Their Secret Relationship Sparked So Much Drama Upon Discovery
In November 2022, Holmes and Robach’s relationship became public, resulting in months of headlines as many felt it was disrespectful to their partners at the time.
The duo have since denied cheating on their partners, revealing that they were in the process of splitting from their respective spouses when they became romantically involved.
In a recent podcast, they pointed out that the drama following the discovery of their relationship stemmed from their decision to keep their divorces private.
“We weren’t exposed for being together, we were exposed, initially, for not actually living the lives we were portraying to the world,” Robach said, per Entertainment Tonight. “Because we weren’t living those lives we were showing everyone, we weren’t able to actually expose our relationship.”
Ultimately, they were fired from their jobs as “GMA” anchors after the show received backlash and ratings started to tank.
Amy Robach And T.J. Holmes Have Packed On The PDA Since Leaving Their ‘GMA’ Anchor Jobs
Despite losing their jobs and facing backlash for their relationship, the bond between the duo has seemingly only gotten stronger,
They have been seen several times packing on the PDA whenever they step out together and taking holidays together to exotic spots.
The duo jointly partook in the New York City half-marathon in March 2023, a year after they became romantically involved after training for the previous edition together.
They Went IG Official And Launched A Joint Podcast
In August 2023, Holmes and Robach went Instagram official with a cute picture of themselves wearing matching shoes.
They finally returned to work by launching a podcast called “Amy and T.J.,” with the first episode debuting in early December.
While the duo noted that the podcast would “explore meaningful conversations about current events, pop culture, and everything in between,” it has also been instrumental to sharing their own side of the story with regard to the controversy around their relationship.