INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Michael Strahan Insists That Kelly Ripa Was Jealous And Bullying Him, Had To Leave

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 22:21 PST, Apr 25, 2016

It seems that Michael Strahan might be rethinking giving so much notice before leaving Live now that things on the set of the show have gone from bad to worse between himself and Kelly Ripa. Strahan decided that he wanted to make the move to GMA when it was offered, as it was for more money, and Strahan actually likes the people he works with.

According to The Inquisitr, Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa had gotten to the point where they only talked on-air and truly seemed to hate each other. What started as a friendly relationship had deteriorated to a chilly relationship, and sources say that they couldn’t stand working together on Live With Kelly and Michael.

TMZ is reporting that for Michael Strahan, the decision to leave Live was an easy one, as he was sick of being tormented by Kelly Ripa. Sources say that Ripa turned on Strahan when he became a fan favorite, and she didn’t like sharing the spotlight. The same source suggested that Ripa was bullying Strahan, which another source says is ridiculous.

Strahan believes that the GMA position will be a friendlier environment, and it will let him grow professionally. GMA is allowing Strahan to do more than just interview celebrities, and he will still do all of his sports-related work. The GMA gig will also pay Strahan more than Live.

As soon as he was allowed to, Michael Strahan texted Kelly Ripa with the hope that they could be civil until Strahan departs for GMA in September. She didn’t respond until Saturday, and even then she was curt. Ripa says that her complaint about Strahan was due to the fact that Strahan was not present after he started working at GMA.

US Weekly says that now that he says a resolution to his issues with Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan has decided to take the high road. Strahan got the opportunity to be interviewed about his move to GMA and explained his position. Strahan says that he has decided that the best way to behave for the next few months with Ripa is to take the high road.

“To me it’s a testament, not just to me, because as I said, everything is a team. It’s a testament to Live, from [producer Michael] Gelman to Kelly [Ripa], for them to say, ‘You are good enough to be here’ and then I go there, and I do well enough to get a job for two days at GMA and then they say, ‘Well, you know what, we really could use you here.’ It’s a team. It’s ABC. It’s a group. It’s a family.”

Strahan insists that he is not leaving the show in the lurch and has given a sufficient amount of notice. Strahan says that ABC is a family, and the family needs his skills elsewhere. He’s sorry that others aren’t happy for him, but Strahan is going to take the high road and not engage.

It’s been reported that Ripa felt blindsided by Strahan’s move to GMA, and she took several days off to cool off. But Ripa is back today, and fans are worried that it will be tense. Strahan admits he is afraid of the unknown.

“To be honest, every new opportunity scares me and so I’m scared about that because I’m so used to doing Live With Kelly and Michael.”

But Strahan is up for new challenges, and is looking forward to being full-time at GMA. Michael Strahan praised Kelly Ripa on air, and is grateful for their time together.

Do you think Kelly Ripa created a hostile environment for Michael Strahan on Live?

[Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]

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