Kelly Ripa opens up about Michael Strahan's shocking departure from "Live!" in People magazine's new cover story.
The 45-year-old talk show host was polite and congratulatory discussing Strahan's May 13 exit from the show for a new gig with "Good Morning America." But when it came to how the former NFL player announced his new job -- by blindsiding his fellow co-host -- Ripa said it's all about "a certain amount of empathy."
"I think that all people are deserving of fair treatment in the workplace. People deserve respect," Ripa said. "People should be treated equally and with dignity."
The talk-show host added, "I'm not dealing with monsters. I don't think of anybody as a monster or out to get me. But sometimes stability and dependability can be misinterpreted as passive."
After Strahan's announcement, Ripa was a no-show at work the next day. ABC told The Huffington Post that she had a day off, but the talk-show host ended up returning to work nearly a week later. As Ripa explained to People, the absence was necessary to maintain her composure.
"I think what people need to understand about the entire situation is that I didn't just not show up," Ripa told People. "I said, in the room, 'I am going to take the day off.' I needed to actually sit and gather information. I needed to make sure I said the appropriate things on TV and didn't just come out and say whatever."
Considering the circumstances, the talk show host has been extraordinarily professional to Strahan. But every now and then, Ripa has managed to throw in a few well-timed digs.
We'll just have to wait and see what goes down during Strahan's departure on Friday, May 13 (we're guessing that date isn't a coincidence, either).
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