Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes have talked about marriage but “haven’t decided” whether they want to officially tie the knot.
During an episode of their “Amy & T.J.” podcast on Sunday, April 21, the former Good Morning America coanchors opened up about navigating the pros and cons of walking down the aisle.
“I think we’re still deciding about, just, what that level of commitment is, whether it’s legal or not, but that’s still up for debate,” Robach, 51, said. “But mentally, emotionally, we’ve absolutely agreed to commit to each other. … We haven’t figured the marriage thing out yet. t
Holmes, 46, seemed confused by his girlfriend’s comments. “What does that mean, ‘We haven’t figured it out?’” he asked. “You mean you haven’t decided?”
“Correct,” Robach responded. “But I have said to you, and I believe you’ve said it to me as well, that I want to be with you for the rest of my life. And I would like to live with you when the time comes. It doesn’t have to be today, tomorrow or next year, but I would eventually want to live with you.
Robach continued, “I want a life partner. I want someone who is with me. Yeah, I like spending the night with you and waking up with you.”
“What is a life partner short of a legal binding agreement?” Holmes asked in response. “Can you have a life partner without that?”
Robach said it’s possible, referencing Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have been together since 1983 without making their relationship legal. “But I’ve always been in awe of the fact that every day they wake up and they choose to be together, there’s no legal binding document that says they have to be together,” she explained.
Robach went on to say that marriage can be a false “level of security,” adding, “It’s a lot harder to break up when you’re married. And so when you go through the tough times or something really bad happens or something really hard happens, it’s so much easier to walk away if there’s nothing that you have to settle legally. I know that’s not the reason why I want to stay with somebody, but there is this notion, there’s this sense of security, ‘Well, it’s an extra hard thing so maybe we’ll both stick it out.’”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Holmes butted in. “Isn’t that the exact opposite thing that you want to happen? ‘I’m only with you because it’s hard to get away from you.’”
Robach added, “That’s not the way I want to have a relationship with you, but I still default to that in my head. I’m just admitting it. I’m not saying it makes any sense but I’m just admitting that there’s something about it where I can say, ‘That’s husband and I’m his wife.’ It feels more official and it feels more real, even though that’s not necessarily the case because we’ve lived enough life to know that’s not.”
Although Holmes seemed apprehensive about her response, he added he feels it’s “almost a stronger commitment to not get married because you can walk out tomorrow.”
News of the duo’s romance surfaced in late 2022 when they were spotted together in New York City. During this period, they had not publicly disclosed any separation from their respective spouses.
Holmes initiated divorce proceedings with Marilee Fiebig that November, ending their marriage of 12 years. Robach similarly dissolved her 12-year marriage to Andrew Shue. After the controversy, Robach and Holmes were removed from GMA3. The twosome launched their podcast in December 2023.