1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: Good evening everyone. My name is Martin Ekachuku. What works 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: were your host for the evening? 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 2: I'd like to introduce you to in conversations with Amy 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 2: and TJ. Thank you, thank you. Hello everyone. Wow, there's 5 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 2: a bright light on me. I haven't been under lights 6 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: like these in well a year and a half. Should 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:30,319 Speaker 2: be familiar, but somehow it's not. 8 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:39,639 Speaker 1: We are taping a podcast tonight, and usually when we 9 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: tape a podcast, we're in a small room, a little studio, 10 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,279 Speaker 1: with just two people in the room. And we love them, 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: two producers of ours. I think one of them is 12 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: floating around here tonight. But as wonderful as they are 13 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: to us for what we need to do and want 14 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,319 Speaker 1: to do, tonight, we felt we needed a little more 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: support and love than just two people could give us. 16 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:03,639 Speaker 1: And that's why you all to hear. 17 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: So thank you, thank you for coming out. And I 18 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: have to say thank you. It's not just the lights. 19 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 2: I mean, we're nervous. We've been doing this podcast, as 20 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 2: we mentioned, in this small room and it feels safe 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 2: and small, like no one's listening. But we haven't been 22 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 2: in front of a group of people. We've been hermits, 23 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 2: we've been in hiding in a lot of ways for 24 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: a long time. So I haven't seen you this nervous ever. 25 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: Well, because I fully expect that somebody in the back 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: of this room is going to be throwing tomatoes at us. 27 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: And no, no, I say that somewhat jokingly, but we 28 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: have been in a business with twenty five plus years. 29 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: We've spoken in front of crowds before on TV, before 30 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: all this, and this is probably one of the smaller 31 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: audiences we've had in front of us live, so we 32 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: shouldn't be nervous, but for whatever reason, we are scared. 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: Listen and it's the truth, and I hope you all 34 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: just bear with us a little bit. But this is 35 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: a big deal for us to be in front of 36 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,079 Speaker 1: an audience again, because it hasn't happened in almost a year. 37 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: Nat, that's right, and we want to thank all of 38 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: you for coming out, and we also want to point 39 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 2: out that we because this is such a big deal 40 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: and this is kind of our coming out in a way, 41 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 2: we just in public again once again. We wanted our 42 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: parents here with us tonight. We couldn't have imagined doing 43 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: this without them, and so they have been our biggest 44 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: supporters always throughout our entire lives, but especially during this 45 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: past year and a half. So we thought it was 46 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 2: a given that they would be here. But sadly they 47 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 2: are not. And it's not because they didn't want to 48 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 2: be here. There was actually just a bizarre turn of 49 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 2: events with both of our parents. I know your father. 50 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: We got a FaceTime from him last week and he 51 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 2: had well he's seventy six years old, and he said, 52 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: anytime your doctor says you need to go to the 53 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: cardiologist immediately, there's something wrong. So he was not medically 54 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 2: cleared to come here to fly at all. So that 55 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 2: is the only reason why t and Mary are not 56 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 2: here from West Memphis. 57 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: Mama Roback and Papa Robach aren't here because Mama Robaq 58 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: took a took a nasty spill a couple of months ago, 59 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: shattered her shoulder and she has been recovering and the 60 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: doctor told her also that she couldn't travel, she couldn't fly. 61 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: So I actually call bullshit on both of them. 62 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: See nice excuse we have got. 63 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: We got to a point seriously all that that we 64 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: got a mindset that every time we walked down the street, 65 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: we thought every single person that we passed despised us. 66 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: We actually thought every single person hated us. Now we're intellectually, 67 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: we know most people don't know who we are, don't 68 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: give a damn who we are. And still I mean everybody, men, women, children, 69 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: We thought everybody hated us. I could on a subway 70 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: platform a five year old could look at me wrong, 71 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: and I'm like, let's take the next train. I don't 72 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: like to wait. This kid is eyeballed. 73 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: If any of you out there are Game of Thrones fans, 74 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: you'll understand this reference. I'm not even kidding. I we 75 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: felt a little bit like Circe walking through the streets 76 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 2: of Manhattan. Shame, shame, shame. I mean that is where 77 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 2: it was that a certain movie kept our heads down 78 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: in our pace very quick, and that is how we 79 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 2: had been living for over a year. 80 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: And so that's why we can't say enough how big 81 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: of a deal it is for you all to be here. 82 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: And this should be a safe place for us, right 83 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: this is Soho House. Yeah, as they all sneaking recordings 84 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: right now, it's supposed to be a safe place. It's 85 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: not just because it's intimate and the Soho House, but 86 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: we have a bunch of familiar faces in the room 87 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: here with us tonight, a lot of close friends and 88 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: some family as well. I know, I don't know where 89 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: she is. I know Analise is here. Oh, there's the crew. 90 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: Her daughter, Analise is seventeen year old. You will as 91 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: she well, yeah, she's told everybody where she's she just 92 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: got accepted into college. 93 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 2: And yeah she's going to the University of Colorado Boulder. 94 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 2: Just got the news this week. And then there is 95 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 2: Sabine TJ's eleven year old daughters sitting right next to Annalise. 96 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 2: And we've got friends. This is the friend and family 97 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 2: zone right over there. I so you guys actually even 98 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,119 Speaker 2: have a velvet rope separating you from everyone else. Wow, 99 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: you're welcome. 100 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: But thank you all so much for me here and 101 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,799 Speaker 1: we want to And I haven't seen him yet. Doctor Guardier. 102 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: You all know Jeff Gardier. Where is doctor Guardier. He's 103 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: in here, somewhere back here, but there he is. 104 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 2: There is. 105 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: Doctor Gardier has been a dear friend, somebody we've worked 106 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: with for twenty years in the business. He is known 107 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: as America's psychologist. And I assure you all, by the 108 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: time you all leave here tonight, you all will want 109 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: a little therapy. And I mean this by before you 110 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: all leave out here, you all will be questioning some 111 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: of the choices you are making in your life right now. 112 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: That's not our intent to like scare you or tell 113 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: you doing something wrong. But as we go through and 114 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: talk about what we want to talk about tonight, that 115 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: will come up. And two things in particular we want 116 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: to hit on tonight. One of them, you all are 117 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: going to be the first to hear us say something 118 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: we have not said publicly. You're going to hear us 119 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: issue a thank you tonight publicly that even for us 120 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: not too long ago, we would have thought unfathomable that 121 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: we would dare be saying thank you and being grateful. 122 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: So more on that in just a bit. But the 123 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: second thing we want to talk about tonight is yes, shame, 124 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: you know. 125 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 2: And obviously we just discussed the public shaming that we've 126 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 2: experienced and it humiliating and I mean we were flogged 127 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 2: and still are here and there and everywhere. But that's 128 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 2: not what we want to talk about. We don't want 129 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: to go back to that. We don't want to discuss that. 130 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 2: We actually want to talk about the fact that the 131 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 2: public shaming actually wasn't our undoing. It was the private 132 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 2: shame that we're going to discuss. And we may be 133 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 2: so bold as to say, we bet every single one 134 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: of you in here knows exactly what we're talking about. 135 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: And we're talking about that shame that causes you to hide, 136 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: that shame that causes you to pretend you're something you're not, 137 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,239 Speaker 1: that shame that causes you to try to be something 138 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: else because you're hiding. You're scared you're going to be 139 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: found out. You're scared somebody is going to think you're 140 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: not enough. It's that private shame that was our undoing. 141 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: Is that private shame that causes us to hide? Well, 142 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: you all tonight we are done hiding. 143 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 2: Officially told you we were coming out, coming out in 144 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 2: a big way. And when we talk about that shame, 145 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 2: we don't. We weren't exposed, and this is an interesting concept. 146 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 2: We weren't exposed for being together. We were exposed initially 147 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 2: for not actually living the lives that we were portraying 148 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 2: to the world. And so because we weren't living those 149 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 2: lives that we were showing everyone, we weren't able to 150 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: actually expose our relationship. 151 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: I saw some of you all nad your head as 152 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: soon as she said, we're not living the lives that 153 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: we were putting on and the lives we had. Look 154 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: I we are. We got two pretty impressive resumes between 155 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: the two of us. We both honor students broadcast degrees. 156 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: We both were in cable network news before the aidge 157 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: of thirty. We have been called upon all of the 158 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,719 Speaker 1: country by a number of organizations to be a part 159 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: of it. We've made millions of millions of dollars in 160 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: this business. Hell. October fourteenth, twenty twenty two was officially 161 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: Amy Robot Day at the University of Georgia. 162 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 2: I'm sure they celebrated it last year. Yeah, probably not. 163 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: I actually am the recipient of the Young Alumni Award 164 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: at the University of Arkansas, and I was the celebrity 165 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: hall caller at a Razorback football game. Now up here, 166 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: that might not mean much to y'all, I assure you, 167 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: it's a really big deal where I'm from. 168 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 2: But what wasn't attached to those resumes, or what was 169 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: attached to those resumes, Well. 170 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: What's attached to them now? For divorces. Between the two 171 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: of us sitting on this stage, there are now four divorces, 172 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: and this is where the private shame. We had very 173 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: perfect looking families and perfect looking lives, and we were 174 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: guilty at times of putting out an image of our 175 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: lives that we knew was not true. 176 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll take that one. I can point specifically to 177 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 2: July of twenty twenty two. I posted a picture with 178 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 2: a beautiful sunset behind me, and if you saw it, 179 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 2: I believe it said goodnight Athens was the was the caption. 180 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 2: And I was in Greece, and you saw that picture 181 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 2: and it looked like a rosy picture of a beautiful marriage, 182 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 2: just picture perfect in every way. And I posted it 183 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 2: because I actually got a text from a friend who said, 184 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 2: some of us are concerned. We're not seeing pictures of 185 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 2: you two like we used to on your Instagram. And 186 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: I immediate lee was so afraid that anyone I knew 187 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 2: thought would know or would think that something was wrong. 188 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 2: I didn't want anyone to think anything was wrong, and 189 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:13,199 Speaker 2: so I posted that picture. The problem is everything was wrong. 190 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: When I posted that picture, I was almost sure my 191 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 2: marriage was over, and yet I didn't want anyone to know, 192 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 2: and no one did know for a while. And I 193 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 2: know you have a very similar story. 194 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: If anybody followed me, it was obvious for a couple 195 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: of years leading up to that that I essentially had 196 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: no images or wasn't putting out anything related to my marriage. 197 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: But beyond that, I moved out of my marital home 198 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: on August twenty fourth, twenty twenty two, started a new 199 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: lease at a new place. I was August twenty fourth 200 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: and divorce was underway. August twenty fifth. I went to 201 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: work and got on TV with my wedding band on 202 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: August twenty sixth, Wedding Bank on the whole month of September, 203 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: wedding Band on TV October November. Same thing. And I 204 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: wouldn't wear it anywhere else. I would just go to 205 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: the studio, go into my dressing room where I kept it, 206 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: put it on for the show, take it off. I 207 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: didn't want anybody to know that I had another failed marriage, 208 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: and I wasn't ready for anybody to know that, And 209 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: I went even went so far as every morning at 210 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 1: GMA Good Morning America, there's a producer that will send 211 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: you an email asking what time you want your car 212 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: pickup to be to bring you to studio, and they 213 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: have your home address on file so they just going 214 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: to add what time you want it tomorrow, and me 215 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: usually when I work and if i'm certainly if I'm 216 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: anchoring Good Morning America, I would have a pick up 217 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: at four four fifteen in the morning. And four months 218 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: I didn't update my address and I would walk out 219 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: of my new home at three forty five am four am, 220 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: and I would walk downtown the fifteen plus minutes over 221 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: to my marital my place i'd moved out of, and 222 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 1: I would sneak behind cars or behind the building. Because 223 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: the driver was parked at the door, he knew I 224 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: wasn't coming out. I was dipping and hiding, trying to 225 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: make sure he didn't know that something was up. I 226 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: went to that type of extreme just to make sure 227 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: you all didn't know that I was a failure in 228 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 1: a personal aspect of my life. 229 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think when you look at Instagram, everyone 230 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 2: does look super happy. And I was one hundred percent 231 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 2: guilty of that as well. And I mentioned that one 232 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 2: photo I took which I still feel guilty about. But 233 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 2: I looked back, and I looked back and just saw 234 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 2: what I was posting versus what I was living, and 235 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 2: it couldn't have been more different. But the truth is, 236 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 2: and I think this is where I believe there's a 237 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 2: lot of commonality with all of us. I wanted my 238 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,839 Speaker 2: life to actually be what it looked like on Instagram 239 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 2: so badly. I was also on my second marriage. I 240 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 2: had invested, you know, so much of my heart, my children, 241 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: his children. I wanted it. I needed it to be 242 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 2: what it looked like. I needed it to be what 243 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 2: it seemed, And mostly for my children, I wanted there 244 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 2: to be this picture perfect family that they could trust 245 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 2: and count on, especially because this wasn't even their father 246 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 2: or their biological brothers. So I'd already had upheaval once. 247 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 2: I didn't want to do it again. But if I'm 248 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 2: being honest, the other reason why I wanted so badly 249 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 2: my Instagram feed to be my life is that my ego. 250 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 2: I didn't want to be a failure. I didn't want 251 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 2: to have another failed marriage. I wanted to be the 252 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 2: perfect wife and the perfect mother, and two failed marriages, 253 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 2: that's I mean. I remember when I told my mom, 254 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 2: I said, my daughter has dark hair and blue eyes, 255 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 2: my oldest one. And I said, unfortunately, Mom, you have 256 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: a granddaughter who looks like Elizabeth Taylor and a daughter 257 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: who's becoming Elizabeth Taylor, and it just I desperately didn't 258 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 2: want it to be true, and so I put up 259 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 2: a front. I pretended, I played along. I wanted to believe, 260 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 2: and I wanted you to believe. I wanted all of 261 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: you to believe that it was true. 262 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: How many did Elizabeth Taylor end up with husbands? Seven? 263 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: So you about halfway? But the luve Okay, that was 264 00:15:55,280 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: not a wedding announcement. Okay, y'all, it was not, but 265 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: it was the same. I had had a picture perfect 266 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: looking family, but I went to extremes. I didn't tell 267 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: my mama I was getting divorced. She had no idea 268 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: until everything blew up. There was I mean, Robot knew, 269 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: of course, but there was only one person in all 270 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: that time that I sat down, looked in their eyes 271 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: and said that the divorce was happening, and that one 272 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: person is in the room tonight, Sabine. 273 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 2: Obviously it's you know, this is the divorce itself. Are divorces. 274 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 2: Those were the painful moments. We were struggling through that 275 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 2: privately in so many ways, and so we weren't ready 276 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 2: to publicly talk about that anyone who's been through a 277 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 2: field relaselationship and especially a failed marriage knows when children 278 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 2: are involved, it is a completely different ballgame. And so yes, 279 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 2: part of it is ego, of course, wanting to keep 280 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 2: it private, but so much of it is also protecting 281 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 2: your children and not wanting them to be exposed to 282 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 2: the publicity that ensues. Ironically, it all blew up in 283 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 2: our face because because we weren't transparent with what was 284 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 2: actually happening in our relationships before this relationship started, everything 285 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 2: got completely blown out of proportion, and every single person, 286 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 2: every single outlet that wrote about us got it wrong, 287 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: completely wrong, and nearly I would say most people who 288 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 2: read what was written believed it. I understand why, but 289 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 2: it couldn't have been further from the truth. But there 290 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:55,399 Speaker 2: was real pain and real emotion behind everything that was 291 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,880 Speaker 2: happening before before that tabloid followed us. 292 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 1: I'm back now, I'm good. Now, I'm good. That was 293 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 1: just that was just a blip. I'm fine. One of 294 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: my boys, Charles is here. He's like I thought he 295 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 1: was about to walk out the room. He's signed up 296 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: for this. 297 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 2: I need a drink, but I. 298 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 1: Did I I Sat, I was talking about Sat sa 299 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: Bean down and and Soho at her favorite restaurant, Bo Cafe, 300 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: which has now moved that location. But we sat down 301 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: and that summer and I explained it to her and 302 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: I was shocked at how well she took it and 303 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: didn't seem very surprised at all. That could have should 304 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 1: have been telling. Uh. Then we got ice cream and 305 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: everything was cool. She we just had to be talking 306 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 1: yesterday and I told her I had a surprise. She 307 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: got out of school, had a text message. I said, hey, 308 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: I got some news for you, and in typical like 309 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: her daddy fashion, I was She said it's good news, 310 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 1: bad news. I said, just come on over after school. 311 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: I'll explain. And the news was only that she was 312 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: going to be allowed in tonight. Right, she's the only 313 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: kid in here, so appreciate your Soho house for making 314 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: an exception for my little one. But she I told 315 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 1: her what was up, and I did. I explain to her, sweetheart, 316 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: if it's bad news, then I will probably invite you 317 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: to your favorite restaurant for a meal to break the news. 318 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: And it dawned on me, Oh damn, the last time 319 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: I did that? 320 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, not funny? 321 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: Was that too? Some but she was. We were working 322 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:36,719 Speaker 1: to get families and kids settled for months before we 323 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: announced or or told anybody else that we were getting divorced, 324 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: and of course everything got blown up the way it did. 325 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,959 Speaker 2: And so we have spent the better part of this 326 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 2: past year and a half trying to make amends. We 327 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 2: recognize that we can explain why we didn't tell people 328 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,239 Speaker 2: what was going on in our private lives. We can 329 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,400 Speaker 2: explain why we weren't transparent, but that doesn't take away 330 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 2: the pain that this caused the people who we love 331 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 2: the most, our children, our parents, our friends. So many 332 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 2: people were personally impacted by our lack of transparency, our 333 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 2: unwillingness to keep it real, be honest with ourselves and 334 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 2: with the world, and the people who you know, trusted 335 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 2: us each and every morning. We were not transparent, bottom line, 336 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:32,200 Speaker 2: and we should have been, and we could have been, 337 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 2: and looking back now, we wish we had been. That 338 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 2: is our biggest folly, and we have been apologizing and 339 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 2: trying to make amends to the people who we love 340 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 2: the most. But we also know that, and I don't 341 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 2: think we've said this before, we want to apologize to 342 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 2: our viewers and to our fans and to the people 343 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 2: to this many people who've supported us throughout our careers, 344 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 2: who trusted us. We were not forthcoming. We were not 345 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,679 Speaker 2: trans parent about what our private lives had been like 346 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 2: that led us to the point where we could actually 347 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 2: be a couple and be accepted as a couple. We 348 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 2: did not, We did not make the right decisions when 349 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 2: we look back now, and let's. 350 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: Be clear here we talk about transparency, let me make 351 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: this as transparent as we can. We didn't mean to 352 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,880 Speaker 1: fall in love. We didn't expect to fall in love. 353 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: We didn't even realize we were falling in love, and 354 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: giving all that was on the line, you could even 355 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: argue we didn't want to fall in love, which seems 356 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: like an odd thing to say about the woman you're 357 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: sitting on stage with that you claim to be in 358 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,959 Speaker 1: love with. I don't want to be in love with 359 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 1: you right back at you. That's a weird thing to think. 360 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: But we didn't. It wasn't what we were planning for. 361 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: But it happened. It did, it had and at work. 362 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 1: I know we're the first ever to fall in love 363 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: it or I get it, but it happened, and we 364 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,680 Speaker 1: are grateful for it. Now and the journey that's brought 365 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: us here in front of you we can be grateful for. 366 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: But we believe anybody in this room you know it 367 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: when you find it, that thing that you know it, 368 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: and you gotta go for it. When that rare thing 369 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: happens in maybe it's love, but when it's right there 370 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 1: in front of your, life is too short and you 371 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,119 Speaker 1: have to go for it. We're not at all endorsing 372 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 1: anybody going for it at all costs. You don't go 373 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,959 Speaker 1: for it, and everybody else be damned. That's not what 374 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: we're saying, and that is not what we did. We 375 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:02,199 Speaker 1: absolutely made missteps along the way, but there are reasons 376 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: and experiences we've had in our lives that informed the 377 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: decision we made, which is a very deliberate one to 378 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: be together, and a part of that is life is 379 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: short and you gotta go for it. 380 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 2: You know. That's my language. And TJ talked about our 381 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 2: resumes and how we got to where we we ended up, 382 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 2: which was at the height of our career at the 383 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 2: number one morning show, and we worked our asses off 384 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 2: to get there almost thirty years for me and same 385 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 2: with TJ. And that success came at a huge price 386 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 2: to our health. I think it's fair to say, and 387 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 2: we'll go through it a little bit because this is 388 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 2: all going to tie into our theme. But our jobs 389 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 2: almost killed us. I had heart surgery that I don't 390 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 2: really talk about in twenty eleven. It was a four 391 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 2: hour heart surgery. I had a dangerous arrhythmia, and my 392 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,640 Speaker 2: cardiologist they can't tell you how or why, but clearly 393 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 2: stress most likely contributed to that condition. And two years 394 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 2: later I was diagnosed with breast cancer and to have 395 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 2: heart surgery and breast cancer two years apart, working ninety 396 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 2: hour weeks with the pressure of network news. I don't 397 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 2: think that's a coincidence. You have a story as well. 398 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: Look, my doctor found a A and I have normality 399 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: in my heart, I should say, And it alarmed him 400 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: to the point that it alarmed me. Right, you don't 401 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 1: ever want to be at the doctor's alfice. And he 402 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,479 Speaker 1: looks at your chart and goes, what the fuck? All right, 403 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: you don't want that. But he was shocked. He's like, 404 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: this hasn't been found before. You're thirty eight years old, 405 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: and somebody should have caught this at some point in life. 406 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: So he was concerned. Send me to a cardiologist at 407 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: the age of thirty eight. Now, I don't know if 408 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: you all been to a cardiologist's office before, but the 409 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: waiting room is full of people seventy five and older 410 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 1: and I'm sitting in there at thirty eight, and they 411 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,919 Speaker 1: were like, oh, no, sweetheart, you go, you go first. 412 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 1: If you in here, you must be in trouble. 413 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 2: I was thirty eight too. Wow, that's something we did 414 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 2: not want to have in common. 415 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: And the other thing, this doctor diagnosed me in twenty 416 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: fifteen with moderately severe depression. I didn't know what that meant, 417 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: and I didn't do a thing to address it for 418 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: four or five years, and ultimately this doctor, on my 419 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: third visit to him with the same issues, he dumped 420 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: me as a patient. Right. I didn't know you could 421 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: do that. He dumped me as a patient. He literally 422 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: told me this, don't come back to me, quit your job, 423 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 1: move back to Atlanta, or you're gonna kill yourself. He 424 00:25:55,960 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: was done with me. Wow, And I said, okay, went 425 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: right back to doing the same things I was doing 426 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 1: that got me in that doctor's office in the first place. 427 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 2: So if network news in this business itself almost killed us, 428 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 2: I would argue that ABC News saved my life twice. 429 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,360 Speaker 2: If it hadn't been for Good Morning America at ABC 430 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 2: News in twenty thirteen, I would not have found my 431 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 2: breast cancer. I'm sure a lot of people know my story. 432 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 2: I won't belabor it, but long story short, I was 433 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 2: asked to do an on air mammogram at the age 434 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 2: of forty, perfectly healthy and fit, no family history. I 435 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 2: was like fine. It ended up revealing that I had 436 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 2: stage two invasive breast cancer. The cancer had already spread 437 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 2: to my lymp nodes. I ended up with a double mistectomy, 438 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 2: six months of chemotherapy for surgeries. And the truth is 439 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 2: I would not have had that mammogram at the time. 440 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 2: It was recommended that I would could wait till I 441 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 2: was fit fifty. So can you imagine if I had 442 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 2: waited ten years to have that mammogram. I don't think 443 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 2: i'd be sitting on this stage right now. And I 444 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 2: think it's very fair to say that that work assignment 445 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 2: that ABC News gave me saved my life. And I 446 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 2: would also say that in twenty twenty, ABC News saved 447 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 2: my life because that was It was the summer of 448 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 2: twenty twenty when I got the call from my executive 449 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 2: producer for GMA three the third hour of Good Morning America, 450 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 2: and she asked me what I thought about bringing on TJ. 451 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 2: Holmes as my co host, and I was ecstatic That 452 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 2: day led me to being on the stage right here 453 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 2: with all of you, with the love of my life, 454 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 2: and gave me a second chance at life. 455 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 1: I got the call not long after she did asked 456 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 1: me to join JMA three, and I'll have you tell 457 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: because I got off the phone and immediately called you 458 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 1: and you were surprised by my tone and my reaction 459 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: at the time. 460 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 2: Well, it speaks to your level of grace and humility 461 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 2: and just who you are as a person. I thought, Look, 462 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 2: we had been good friends, really good friends for six 463 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 2: years and loved working together, but we never expected this 464 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 2: to happen. We never expected it ABC News to put 465 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 2: us together, and so I was jumping for joy. I thought, 466 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 2: oh my god, I get to work with my favorite 467 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 2: person at ABC News, one of my great friends. This 468 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 2: is amazing. And he was like, I don't know, I 469 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 2: don't know if I want to do this. I don't 470 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 2: know if this is good. I don't know if we 471 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 2: should do this. I was like, why are you like, 472 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 2: what where's the hesitancy? And he didn't want I had 473 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 2: started the show during the pandemic and it had done gangbusters, 474 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 2: but they wanted to elevate it to the next level, 475 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 2: beyond and out outside side of just pandemic conversations and 476 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 2: really make it into a show. So I was excited 477 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 2: to bring on this amazing person who I knew was 478 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 2: going to bring the personality and the fun and the 479 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 2: smarts and all of the things he brings to the 480 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 2: table to just truly elevate the show. He was concerned 481 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 2: that somehow I would feel like he was taking over 482 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 2: or stepping on my toes, or it was my show 483 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 2: and he was coming in and taking some of my thunder. 484 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 2: But see, that's the cool thing about working with you. 485 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 2: This is a cutthroat business and we've been in it 486 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 2: for a long time, and I have never worked with 487 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 2: anyone side by side who I felt more trust with 488 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 2: because typically everyone's in it for themselves. They want to 489 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 2: get a leg up, they want to show boat, they 490 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 2: want to be the one, they want the spotlight on them. 491 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 2: The two of us made each other better, and you 492 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 2: make me better for sure. And so to know that 493 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 2: this person who I trusted completely who I have so 494 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 2: probably too much fun with on the set was going 495 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 2: to be my co anchor. It was just a no brainer. 496 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 2: But it was incredibly sweet and kind, and again speaks 497 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 2: to your character because I never even considered that it 498 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 2: was you infringing on my show ever. 499 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: That show when I joined in twenty twenty, the summer 500 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: fall of twenty twenty, that those were probably the darkest 501 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: days of my adult life, and she pulled me out 502 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: of it. I think darkest days. I talked about being 503 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: diagnosed with moderately severe depression, but she saw and I 504 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: talked to her, and I didn't have to talk to 505 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 1: her every day. Sometimes she just saw it. But thoughts 506 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: of suicide, the abuse of alcohol. I didn't realize how 507 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: bad off I was, and it's it's pretty bad that 508 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: I can I can tell you it's about a five 509 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: point one five point two mile walk from my home 510 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: downtown to the ABC office on sixty sixth Street on 511 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: the Upper West Side, because I would walk back and 512 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: forth in the middle of the night because I didn't 513 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: want to go home and I would just walk the streets. 514 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: I can tell you there's a there's a bench on 515 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: fourteenth Street just west of Union Square, where I have 516 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: actually slept that night, I was the best dressed homeless 517 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: man you have ever seen in your life. With the home, yes, 518 00:31:56,560 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: but that those were off awful days from me. And 519 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: I was going in every day with this one. And 520 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: she is seeing me deteriorate, She's seeing me not get help. 521 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: She's seeing me the way nobody else was. And it 522 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: became an issue where I would leave home to go 523 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: to the studio. But what it really felt like is 524 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: I was leaving home and going home, which was Amy 525 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: Roboch who was introduced me to authors. She got me 526 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:35,720 Speaker 1: obviously running, which helps with depression. She wouldn't let me 527 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 1: slide on anything. And I credit her, as this is 528 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: not dramatic. I credit her for literally helping save my life. 529 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 2: You saved your life, you did, and we became best friends. 530 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 2: Like I said, we were good friends. But once we 531 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:01,560 Speaker 2: started co anchoring that show together, it was amazing to 532 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 2: watch you transform to be the best version of yourself. 533 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 2: And I knew your heart, and I knew your beautiful mind, 534 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 2: and I knew you were struggling. And sometimes you just 535 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 2: need a friend. Sometimes you just need one person to 536 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 2: believe in you. 537 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 1: You know, folks, this is There were times we go 538 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: to work it's five sometimes we're doing jim Ay. We'd 539 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: be in the office at five am and we are 540 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 1: literally side by side until eleven am when we leave 541 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: the studio. We leave the studio, go for a run 542 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: on the West Side Highway, a training run, and then 543 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: stopped it. Stop it, drift in on the West Side 544 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:38,960 Speaker 1: Highway and have a beer after the run. From five 545 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: am to sometimes one, two three, we are right next 546 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: to each other. And this was happening day after day 547 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: after day, and so my good friend became my best 548 00:33:51,280 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: friend and then became everything and we knew we had 549 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: something specialist friends, and apparently. 550 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:10,320 Speaker 3: ABC knew it too. They saw the chemistry. Yeah, ABC 551 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 3: was our e harmony. No no, no, we didn't go in 552 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 3: and beg. 553 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: Please let us do this show together her agents and reps, 554 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: and they weren't called and saying you got to get 555 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 1: these guys on the show. It came randomly, completely out 556 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: of nowhere that we got those calls. They made the 557 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,879 Speaker 1: decision on their own. They saw something and they put 558 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 1: us together. And I think after they put us together, 559 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 1: things then really ramped up. In December of twenty twenty one, 560 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: another changed because one of our colleagues decided to go 561 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 1: to space, and this really got it, really kicked our 562 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:59,360 Speaker 1: careers at ABC and our partnership into high gear and 563 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: were talking about s Of course that's Michael Straighthand you 564 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 1: explain how this, well, because light you're going to space 565 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: plays into this story. 566 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 2: Well, we would probably I was. I was sent down 567 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 2: to Texas to be on the ground when he was 568 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 2: going up. And we love Stray, We go way back. 569 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,200 Speaker 2: He's one of our favorite people on the planet. He's 570 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 2: just as kind and sweet and amazing as he seems 571 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:27,640 Speaker 2: on television, maybe even more so in person, even more so. 572 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 2: So I was down there and I was waiting, and 573 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,000 Speaker 2: the launch got delayed for weather. And so because I 574 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 2: think it was set for a Thursday, Thursday, yes, December ninth, 575 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,359 Speaker 2: that was supposed to go. This is a big deal. 576 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 2: So all the big GMA folks were going to be 577 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 2: handling the special report and I was going to be 578 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:45,920 Speaker 2: the reporter on the ground. Well, it got delayed and 579 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 2: so it ended up being on a Saturday. Well, a 580 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 2: lot of those folks don't really like to work weekends, 581 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 2: so they decided to put the b team in charge, 582 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:59,879 Speaker 2: and so instead of just being a correspondent, TJ went 583 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,800 Speaker 2: New York, I came from Texas, and we co hosted 584 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 2: the special report, which is a really big deal in 585 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 2: network news to be able to break into programming and 586 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 2: do the special report, and especially with one of our 587 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 2: favorite people going into space, we were personally invested. So 588 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 2: we didn't do your typical, you know, Dunda dun Dom 589 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 2: special report. We were just emotional and we were just 590 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 2: being us. We were being dog gulls, drag. 591 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 1: Oh. 592 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 2: I was like, oh my god, Oh my god, what's happening. 593 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 2: Like I was acting like a crazy friend who was 594 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,359 Speaker 2: worried about her friend flying into space, not this network correspondent. 595 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,279 Speaker 1: And yeah, she said this on the air after it 596 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:37,919 Speaker 1: was up and it was supposed to be coming back down. 597 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: She was looking at the wrong thing that was coming down. 598 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 1: She thought it was strays like and she said this 599 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: on the air, they're coming in hot. 600 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:49,239 Speaker 2: I mean I was. It was like I was on 601 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:51,920 Speaker 2: my couch watching Versus. I forgot I had a microphone 602 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 2: on and I was actually supposed to be telling everyone 603 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 2: it was all good and it was okay, but I 604 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,799 Speaker 2: was freaking out. But it ended up being a really 605 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 2: beautiful emotional moment that I think was different than anything else, 606 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,719 Speaker 2: and a light bulb went off in a lot of 607 00:37:06,719 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 2: the executives head when they saw this is special, this 608 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 2: is cool. So they started to send us all over 609 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 2: the place, all over the world together, all over the country, 610 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 2: and we started going on assignments and big assignments, fun assignments, 611 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 2: from the Oscars to the Queen's Jubilee. They started to 612 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 2: realize that we were actually entertaining and informing at the 613 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 2: same time and had a lot of fun and hopefully 614 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 2: if any of you all watched any of those events, 615 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 2: had some fun with us watching. 616 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 1: So we are now again. I gave you the schedule 617 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: that we had spent all this time together anything the show, 618 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,279 Speaker 1: and now they're sending us everywhere together, time after time, 619 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: with this London, or Landown, New Orleans, Houston, being in 620 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:50,720 Speaker 1: the Oscars, we were everywhere now spending all this time together. 621 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: In our personal lives that we mentioned that shame, right, 622 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:58,320 Speaker 1: that private shame, not letting anybody know and letting anybody 623 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: in to what was happening. But we were right next 624 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 1: to each other going through all of that in those 625 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 1: times together and We don't know, because we get asked 626 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,240 Speaker 1: all the time. When did things start to shift from 627 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:15,440 Speaker 1: friendship to knowing you had something more? And if you 628 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 1: will if we just did a one, two three and 629 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: both of us answered at the same time, I'm not 630 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:21,759 Speaker 1: sure if we'd have the same answer. No, that we 631 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: would scream them out. 632 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,760 Speaker 2: I don't know how to describe it other than because 633 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 2: we had been now at this point friends for eight 634 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,720 Speaker 2: years and just friends. This is me being totally honest. 635 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 2: He's too cool for me, Like I would never he 636 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 2: would never have been anybody I would have fought to 637 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 2: date because I don't know. I just you were a 638 00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 2: little too dangerous for me. 639 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:44,719 Speaker 1: I don't know, Wow, I just we will edit that 640 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:45,400 Speaker 1: out of the poet. 641 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:50,280 Speaker 2: Actually, I actually felt safe being his best galpal because 642 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:54,440 Speaker 2: it just never felt like anything. 643 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: It just it. 644 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,279 Speaker 2: I really considered him. I used to say you were 645 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,400 Speaker 2: like my brother, and that's exactly so it was weird. 646 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:06,320 Speaker 2: It's gross, and then it's weird when all of a 647 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 2: sudden you feel like suddenly a look lingers, or you 648 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 2: start to feel something change. You're like, this is strange, 649 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 2: this is weird, and so you deny it and you 650 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 2: don't talk about it at all, and you don't even 651 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:23,279 Speaker 2: acknowledge it to yourself, and you start realizing. I think 652 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,120 Speaker 2: for me, one of the big moments was I got 653 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:27,920 Speaker 2: so excited on Sunday night when I got to go 654 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 2: to work on Monday, and on Fridays, right, I didn't 655 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 2: have the Sunday scaries. I had the Sunday like excitement. 656 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,560 Speaker 2: I was so excited, and then Friday we'd be like, 657 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 2: oh bye, you know, and so you start to like, 658 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:43,160 Speaker 2: that's not normal, and so eventually you start to you 659 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:46,120 Speaker 2: start to realize that you're feeling something, but truly do 660 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,280 Speaker 2: not even admit it to yourself versus the other person. 661 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 2: But slowly, slowly, slowly, it kind of became undeniable. And 662 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:59,440 Speaker 2: I can say this much. TJ told me that he 663 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:05,799 Speaker 2: loved me before we ever even like I don't like 664 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 2: I ever like touched your hand. I mean, we never 665 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,920 Speaker 2: held hands. There was nothing physical, And I never in 666 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:15,279 Speaker 2: my life could have imagined feeling that kind of love 667 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:18,480 Speaker 2: for someone where it never started out as lust, and 668 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,000 Speaker 2: it actually wasn't even lust. It was just this deep 669 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:25,200 Speaker 2: foundation of friendship, love, respect. We had been in the 670 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 2: trenches together on television in a very high stress situation 671 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:34,600 Speaker 2: in a network newsroom, and we had been there for 672 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:37,360 Speaker 2: each other in our darkest moments. We started leaning on 673 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:40,759 Speaker 2: each other in so many emotional ways, and it was 674 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 2: just there was such a depth to what we had. 675 00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:48,000 Speaker 2: It was so different than anything I've ever experienced. So 676 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:52,399 Speaker 2: it was so gutting to me to have what got 677 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:56,960 Speaker 2: exposed in November to somehow be some like lustfull affair. 678 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:00,839 Speaker 2: It was the complete opposite of that. 679 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 1: To the point earlier, you know, we actually would get 680 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:07,920 Speaker 1: offended and get onto people anytime they suggested something was 681 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:09,840 Speaker 1: going on between the two of us, because it really 682 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:13,920 Speaker 1: we actually responded like my sister. We did that for 683 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:18,879 Speaker 1: the longest and people, we took such pride in our 684 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: friendship that when things threatened it, we defended it. And 685 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,120 Speaker 1: love falling in love was a threat to our friendship. 686 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:38,239 Speaker 1: We talked about that a lot. Is Hey, I whatever 687 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 1: we cannot, I cannot lose you as the friend that 688 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: I have to go explore something. And ultimately this went 689 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 1: on for months, months of deliberate and there was no acknowledgment. 690 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,080 Speaker 1: I'm the one that finally made hey, hey, look at sister. 691 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:54,760 Speaker 1: We got to talk. 692 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:57,200 Speaker 2: He did. He made me talk. I don't think I 693 00:41:57,239 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 2: ever would have acknowledged it. 694 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 1: We just like just played us keep looking at each 695 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 1: other crazy and did not want to talk about it. 696 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: And I think we did realize what was at stake. 697 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: Maybe we didn't know we were would be playing with 698 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:17,960 Speaker 1: fire and it wasn't necessary because things were great. Gig 699 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 1: was going great, show was going great. Life wasn't going great. 700 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:24,680 Speaker 1: Our personal lives weren't going. 701 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 2: Great, that's right. And so when we were having these conversations, 702 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:31,040 Speaker 2: and I think I fell in love with you even 703 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:33,719 Speaker 2: more because I knew this wasn't a shtick or something 704 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,400 Speaker 2: you just said. You said to me at one point, 705 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:39,839 Speaker 2: I love you so much that if all I ever 706 00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:42,480 Speaker 2: get to be in your life is your best friend, 707 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:48,719 Speaker 2: that's enough. And I knew you meant it. And I 708 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:55,440 Speaker 2: got to a point where my cancer journey played a 709 00:42:55,480 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 2: huge role in my decision. And this was a deliberate, 710 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 2: thoughtful moment for me. I asked myself, if your cancer 711 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 2: came back and you knew you had one year to live, 712 00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 2: how would you spend it? And it wasn't even close. 713 00:43:15,640 --> 00:43:19,120 Speaker 2: I would spend it with TJ. And I have preached 714 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:25,080 Speaker 2: and I've given speeches to breast cancer survivors and thrivers 715 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:28,480 Speaker 2: and patients and anyone who's gone through anything life threatening 716 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:31,600 Speaker 2: or had anything where you thought you might die, whatever 717 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:38,359 Speaker 2: it is, you learn that tomorrow is not guaranteed. All 718 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:41,160 Speaker 2: you have is today, and you have one life to live. 719 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:42,799 Speaker 2: I used to joke, I try to live my life 720 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 2: like a country music song. I mean, it's just this 721 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,920 Speaker 2: like in real time, realizing that this is your shot, 722 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 2: this is your chance, this is your moment, and you 723 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:57,479 Speaker 2: don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. And that 724 00:43:57,600 --> 00:43:59,919 Speaker 2: for me was my epiphany. That was my light bulb, 725 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:04,319 Speaker 2: and that was me living finally truthfully by admitting that 726 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,800 Speaker 2: I wanted to be with you. That was my moment. 727 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:20,120 Speaker 1: We mentioned shame and private shame and public shame, and 728 00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: we still have some work to do, doctor Gardier, maybe 729 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:28,320 Speaker 1: on dealing with public shaming and walking down the street 730 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:34,200 Speaker 1: thinking everybody hates us, despises us, thinks we're the worst 731 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:37,719 Speaker 1: people in the world. We were getting better about that. 732 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 1: The private shame is done, and for a while we 733 00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:51,920 Speaker 1: carried a private shame even about being together now like 734 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 1: it continues for a different reason. Right we were had 735 00:44:57,160 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 1: a private shame that we weren't living the lives people 736 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 1: thought we were in our marriages, and now we carried 737 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 1: it over again to not being transparent fully about us 738 00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 1: because we're worried if they don't really like us, it's 739 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:20,439 Speaker 1: not going to support us. They don't, right, they don't. 740 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 1: They don't like to see us together. That stops you all. 741 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:26,960 Speaker 1: I am in love with this woman and we are 742 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 1: planning a life together, and and if you don't like it, 743 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:42,719 Speaker 1: I'm not going to finish this. I got nothing. I'm 744 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 1: not that dude. There are those sweet words she said, 745 00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:47,759 Speaker 1: I'm capable of love. I can't feel that one in. 746 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:53,520 Speaker 2: But you mentioned the authors that you leaned on, that 747 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:56,520 Speaker 2: I leaned on, and that you leaned on. We found 748 00:45:57,120 --> 00:46:01,760 Speaker 2: a lot of solace in a book by Matthew Kelly. 749 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:06,800 Speaker 1: You all know this book. It's called Life Is Messy. Yeah, shocker. 750 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:13,600 Speaker 1: It's on our nightstand, all right. But there's a quote 751 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:15,200 Speaker 1: in there that I'm going to leave you all with 752 00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: in a second. But before I give that to you, 753 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:22,680 Speaker 1: we said we wanted to give a thank you tonight. 754 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:26,719 Speaker 1: And again this is something doctor Guardia, I'm gonna ask 755 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:28,640 Speaker 1: you about in a second. But we never would have 756 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:32,080 Speaker 1: imagined that we would sit and again you want We 757 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:39,680 Speaker 1: haven't done this even privately express to each other gratitude, 758 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 1: but tonight we do want to say thank you to 759 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 1: ABC News, the folks that you read the headlines that 760 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:52,960 Speaker 1: they want to fire us, or they fired us, or 761 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:57,719 Speaker 1: don't want us around. And we'll be honest that we 762 00:46:57,719 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 1: were angry as hell at ABC News for quite a while, 763 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:09,600 Speaker 1: but only with time and with perspective, we can appreciate 764 00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:12,680 Speaker 1: them recognizing something in us, putting us together in the 765 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:16,760 Speaker 1: first place, set us on a course to get better 766 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:21,279 Speaker 1: health and happiness to where we can come out of 767 00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:23,600 Speaker 1: it now healthier and happier than we've ever been in 768 00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:27,359 Speaker 1: our adult lives. Our daughters are over there sitting next 769 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:29,919 Speaker 1: to each other. We have our friends in the room 770 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:33,840 Speaker 1: supporting us, and we have a group of you all 771 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:37,520 Speaker 1: willing to come out, and not a single one of 772 00:47:37,560 --> 00:47:46,759 Speaker 1: you has thrown a tomato yet, so as we were angry, 773 00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 1: and it turns out that that moment it never you'll 774 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,160 Speaker 1: have been there. If anybody over here over the age 775 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:56,600 Speaker 1: of thirty thirty five has dealt with it, when you're 776 00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:58,920 Speaker 1: going through it, it never ever seems like you're going 777 00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:00,440 Speaker 1: to come out of it. On the other side, it 778 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:04,120 Speaker 1: never ever feels like this is actually going to be 779 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:07,680 Speaker 1: a good thing for you later. We could never imagine 780 00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:10,880 Speaker 1: that them putting us together in the first place would 781 00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:14,360 Speaker 1: put us in a position to where they want to 782 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:18,040 Speaker 1: fire us to then put us into a position that 783 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:20,239 Speaker 1: we are now to be better than we have ever 784 00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:24,680 Speaker 1: been in our dot line. Thank you, ABC News. 785 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:29,640 Speaker 2: Thank you, James Goldston, Thank you, Cat mackenzie. 786 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,080 Speaker 1: James Goldson's the former ABC News president. He had to 787 00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:37,040 Speaker 1: sign off on us being together. Kat McKenzie, executive producer 788 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:40,240 Speaker 1: of Good Morning America, Justin Dile, Good Morning America, Jimmy three, 789 00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:43,320 Speaker 1: Justin Dile and executive there. These were the three folks 790 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:46,880 Speaker 1: who made that call. We are saying thank you, and 791 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:51,160 Speaker 1: we mean it genuinely and sincerely. Thank you to ABC 792 00:48:51,360 --> 00:48:54,680 Speaker 1: News for putting us on this course. And I guess 793 00:48:54,680 --> 00:49:01,200 Speaker 1: it has a religious connotation, but this ABC News became 794 00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:02,600 Speaker 1: the instrument of our salvation. 795 00:49:04,239 --> 00:49:07,880 Speaker 2: It did yeah twice now for me, so thank you, 796 00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 2: double thank you for me. 797 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:13,279 Speaker 1: We are going to ask doctor Guardia to come up 798 00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:15,320 Speaker 1: here in just a second. And while that's going to 799 00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:17,400 Speaker 1: happen here in a moment, we did talk about we 800 00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:22,520 Speaker 1: wanted to give you this, this quote, Life is Messy. 801 00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:26,120 Speaker 1: Anybody know the book Life is Messy? Oh? Wow, Wow, 802 00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:29,040 Speaker 1: glad to see things are going so well for you guys. 803 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:32,000 Speaker 2: Nikki knows it because of me. That's the only reason. 804 00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:35,200 Speaker 2: Apparently we have the messiest lives in the room whose. 805 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,640 Speaker 1: Life was messy first. But it's surprising that nobody in 806 00:49:38,680 --> 00:49:41,440 Speaker 1: here has heard of that book, or maybe nobody wants admitted. 807 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:45,759 Speaker 1: Maybe we shouldn't have either. But there's a quote, and 808 00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:47,120 Speaker 1: I don't want to mess it up, and that's why 809 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:47,640 Speaker 1: I'm looking. 810 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:50,400 Speaker 2: I actually want to say I found this book. My 811 00:49:50,480 --> 00:49:55,600 Speaker 2: mom had it in her home and I went. I 812 00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:59,719 Speaker 2: escaped there at Christmas December of twenty twenty two when 813 00:49:59,719 --> 00:50:02,840 Speaker 2: this was all going down, and she was like, I 814 00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:06,000 Speaker 2: think you might need this, and it saved me. I 815 00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:08,400 Speaker 2: read the whole thing and now I run and listened 816 00:50:08,400 --> 00:50:11,560 Speaker 2: to it still when I'm running at audiobook. It's just 817 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:14,040 Speaker 2: I can't get enough of it. But you actually just 818 00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:14,880 Speaker 2: read it this week. 819 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:17,320 Speaker 1: I read it this week in anticipation of this event, 820 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:22,760 Speaker 1: and I read it in about two hours one morning, 821 00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:27,279 Speaker 1: and this quote stood out to me. It says one 822 00:50:27,360 --> 00:50:30,640 Speaker 1: of the most dangerous things you can do in life 823 00:50:31,239 --> 00:50:36,239 Speaker 1: is to ignore the moments that invite you to walk 824 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:43,960 Speaker 1: down another street. This is not what we wanted, this 825 00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:47,920 Speaker 1: is not what we expected, this is not what we 826 00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:57,560 Speaker 1: saw coming. But we are finally happy and healthy, and 827 00:50:58,280 --> 00:51:03,640 Speaker 1: we're sorry that to get there we needed to walk 828 00:51:03,680 --> 00:51:07,759 Speaker 1: down another street. But we did, and here we are 829 00:51:09,719 --> 00:51:12,080 Speaker 2: Without shame, now without shame.