Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts signed a contract worth a reported $20 million per year around December 20, then waited until the end of December to come out of the closet, revealing in a Facebook post Sunday that she is a lesbian. Roberts wrote:
At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude. I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health. I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life. I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together. I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold. On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.
An ABC News spokeswoman acknowledged that Roberts has been in a relationship with a massage therapist named Amber Laign for ten years. Roberts had been championed in 2012 for her fight against myleodysplastic syndrome, and Good Morning America used her absence to offer on-air updates about her status. The show let its audience visit with her via video, and she made a short visit to the set while she recovered. The ratings soared, and GMA was able to sustain its lead over the Today Show, which it recently acquired in 2012.
ABC News is making a habit of using the off-air travails of its reporters for some purpose; recently, reporter Amy Robach spent airtime talking about her discovery of her breast cancer after she had a mammogram on television a month earlier. In October, 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas talked about joining a program for treatment of alcohol dependency.
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