Michael Strahan Said He Couldn't "Speak Up" During His Time at Live With Kelly
During a town hall meeting with Bob Iger, Michael Strahan revealed that during his time as co-host of Live With Kelly, he felt like he couldn't "speak up and raise his voice," because he feared that he'd be seen as "threatening." Page Six reports that the meeting happened earlier this month and that Strahan voiced his concerns in front of ABC and Disney employees.
"Michael said that there were some very tense situations with executives who got argumentative and loud on the show, and he was very aware he couldn’t speak up or raise his voice as he was worried he would be seen as threatening," a source told Page Six.
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RELATED: Michael Strahan Opened Up About His Tense Relationship with Former Live Co-Host Kelly Ripa
Strahan, who is currently a host on Good Morning America, didn't specifically mention Live, but sources confirmed that his points were regarding his time on the show. Previously, Strahan had described his time on the show, saying that he came in expecting to be a partner, but felt like he had been relegated to the Ripa's "sidekick." He doesn't harbor any resentment for Kelly Ripa, he added, though he noted that she refused to meet with him before he stepped away from the show.
"I don't hate her. I do respect her for what she can do at her job," he said. "I cannot say enough about how good she is at her job."
In addition to Strahan, the town hall meeting included ABC's senior justice correspondent Pierre Thomas, Chicago-based Alex Perez, Atlanta's correspondent Steve Osunsami, Dallas's Marcus Moore, and Los Angeles-based Eyewitness News anchor Marc Brown.
