Lynette Romero Shares Update on Former KTLA Co-Anchor Mark Mester: 'I'm Respecting Him'
Lynette Romero/Instagram
Lynette Romero is keeping in touch with her former co-anchor Mark Mester after they exited news station KTLA in September.
"I know that a lot of you are asking a lot of questions. Why did I leave? How is Mark? All of those things." she said in a Facebook Live on Friday. "I will tell you that Mark and I talk every day. I'm respecting him. He's respecting me and our privacy and all those things."
Mester was fired from KTLA shortly after criticizing how the station's executives handled his co-anchor's departure.
RELATED: L.A. Anchor Lynette Romero Joins KNBC Following Sudden Departure From KTLA: 'This Is Good News'
Romero, who left KTLA in September, told her fans: "We will talk about all these things at some point. This is not the time or the place so I know you guys will respect that."
Although the video was intended to be a tour of her new workspace at KNBC, she made sure to tell followers that Mark is "well and taking care of himself, and he's going to be doing amazing things. I'm sure of it because he's an amazing person. We will always be friends, and we will talk about all of those things later."
Mark Mester/instagram
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While showing off her new office, she admitted that she's a little scared to start her new job — anchoring the Today in LA morning show, starting October 10. She joins co-anchor Adrian Arambulo, meteorologist Belen De Leon and traffic anchor Robin Winston as the newest member of the show's weekday crew.
"I don't want to screw up. I want to do a good job," she said. "You want to be worthy. I'm going to work really hard for you guys and these guys. Put me in coach. I'm ready."
Renee Washington, Vice President of News at KNBC, said Romero "has the right combination of journalistic experience and genuine warmth that comes across on the air and in person."
"She is a dynamic anchor with an upbeat approach to help our viewers kick-start their day," she added in a press release. "And I am happy to welcome her to the NBC4 family."
Romero was a member of KTLA for nearly 24 years. According to The Los Angeles Times, her final day on air was supposed to be the same day her contract expired: Sept. 18. But her departure was announced Sept. 14.
RELATED: Mark Mester Fired for Criticizing KTLA's Treatment of Lynette Romero
KTLA executives were criticized for how they handled Romero's exit, including the decision to have entertainment reporter Sam Rubin break the news during a 40-second segment.
The network's spokesperson Gary Weitman previously said Romero suddenly asked to go on vacation during the final week of her contract and could have said goodbye on the air, according to the Times.
RELATED VIDEO: News Anchor Suspended for Criticizing the Treatment of Former Co-Anchor amid Controversial Departure
Mester went off-script during a live segment when he apologized to viewers for the announcement of Romero's departure, which he called "unfortunate" and "inappropriate."
"I want to start off right now by offering up an apology to you," Mester said in a clip from the show that was posted on social media. "What the viewers experienced was rude, it was cruel, it was inappropriate and we are so sorry."
"I also want to say sorry to Lynette Romero, because Lynette," he said, adding: "Lynette deserved to say goodbye, it didn't happen. I don't know who wrote the script, I don't know who handed it to Sam Rubin. Regardless, this was a mistake."
