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Kelly Ripa Heads To The Caribbean For Vacation In The Wake Of Michael Strahan’s Big News

By Pam Wright
Published on: 00:01 PST, Apr 24, 2016

Kelly Ripa has flown the coop.

In the wake of Michael Strahan’s big announcement last week, Ripa has reportedly headed to the Caribbean with her husband, presumably to clear her head a bit.

According to CBS News, the 45-year-old Live with Kelly and Michael co-host already had plans to take a vacation this week, but once the news broke — reportedly behind her back — that Michael Strahan would be leaving the show to join Good Morning America, she decided to leave earlier than scheduled.

Reports claim that Ripa was so infuriated that Strahan kept the news from her that she ditched the show just before going on air Wednesday, the day after the big announcement. Ana Gasteyer filled in for Kelly at the last minute.

Dancing with the Stars host Erin Andrews filled in for Ripa on Thursday and Friday, and Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell is scheduled to co-host with Strahan on Monday.

According to CBS, Ripa was seen leaving her Manhattan home on Thursday with her husband, Mark Consuelos, on their way to the airport for a flight bound for Turks and Caicos to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

While Ripa is expected to return to the show on Tuesday, it’s whether she will return then, or ever considering the tremendous fallout. The rumor mill has said that she was given an ultimatum by Disney to be there on Tuesday or else.

According the Ripa’s rep, the trip was planned long before the scandal erupted last week.

While Ripa declined to speak to reporters waiting outside as she left for the airport, CBS noted that she was prominently displaying a book in her hands: Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. CBS noted too that Strahan spent his entire NFL career playing for the New York Giants.

Page Six reports that Kelly Ripa had a “complete meltdown” when she was “blindsided” with the news of Strahan’s career move.

A source said the news was so painful that Ripa felt it would be better that she didn’t show up for work on Wednesday.

“Kelly sees this as the ultimate betrayal. There’s been a total Ripa meltdown. Kelly didn’t want to show up to work and mouth off and say something she would have regretted. She is upset and didn’t want to take it out on her own staff.”

Page Six is also reporting the CNN’s Anderson Cooper is the frontrunner to replace Strahan, who joined co-host with Kelly Ripa in 2012 after Regis Philbin retired in 2011.

As for Michael Strahan, People magazine reports that he was looking forward to Kelly Ripa’s return on Tuesday and “never wanted any of this to happen,” according to a source.

“He got why she was mad but it was out of his control. He spent the last few days reaching out because he wanted her to come back.”

On Friday, Ripa reportedly sent an email to her staff informing them that she would indeed be returning to the show on Tuesday.

“I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process this new information. Your kindness, support and love has overwhelmed me. We are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday morning.”

It will be interesting to see how Kelly Ripa addresses the situation once she returns from the Caribbean and sits beside Michael Strahan again on Tuesday.

[Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival]

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