The Biggest Scandals To Ever Hit Morning TV
The following article mentions sexual assault allegations.
It may be hard to imagine, but upon a time, people did not watch television the moment they woke up in the morning. Before the 1950s, national morning programs that featured a mix of news stories and lighthearted content were not a thing. But that all changed on January 14, 1952, when Jack Lescoulie came on at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. He introduced himself and then, he introduced anchor David Garroway. This was the beginning of NBC's "Today," the longest-running national morning show. Other networks eventually followed suit; CBS launched "The Morning Show" in 1954, and ABC threw its hat in the ring in 1975 with "Good Morning America."
Fast-forward decades later, the fight among morning shows is more intense than it has ever been. For viewers, waking up to one of these shows has now become part of a normal routine as these programs deliver hard-hitting news, amusing features, and of course, the weather. Such programs also never shy away from discussing controversial matters. Sometimes, however, morning shows become embroiled in controversy themselves.
Good Morning America co-anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' affair
As far as viewers knew, the relationship between (former) "Good Morning America" co-anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes was platonic. Until it wasn't. The speculation began on November 10, 2022, when the co-workers, who were still married to other people at the time, were spotted getting flirtatious with each other while having post-work drinks at the Irish pub O'Donoghue's in Times Square. Photos obtained by the Daily Mail showed Robach and Holmes keeping their distance from each other when they left the pub, but they ended up getting in the same Uber SUV just minutes later. The co-anchors were reportedly headed to Holmes' Manhattan apartment. Just a few days later, on November 13, Holmes and Robach were also seen spending the weekend together in a cozy cottage in upstate New York. On November 28, they were pictured going to each other's apartments. Robach and Holmes also held hands as they shared another Uber ride together.
On December 5, 2022, "Good Morning America" announced that Holmes and Robach wouldn't be on air for a while. "GMA decided to have a period of cooling down, because they thought this was unwanted attention," an insider told People. By January 27, 2023, it was confirmed that they would no longer be on the morning show. Robach and Holmes have since confirmed the relationship on Instagram and launched their own podcast. Another twist: Holmes and Robach's exes reportedly rebounded with one another.
Don Lemon's offensive comment about Nikki Haley on CNN This Morning
In February 2023, an on-air discussion on "CNN This Morning" turned controversial when then-co-host Don Lemon made comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and her age. During the segment, Lemon remarked, "Nikki Haley isn't in her prime. Sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s." Haley was 51 at the time. When co-host Poppy Harlow asked Lemon to clarify his remarks, he seemingly attempted to walk back his comment by stating that it came from Google.
In response to the backlash that followed, CNN decided to let Lemon go on a hiatus for a few days. And when he returned to "CNN This Morning," it looked like business as usual. Lemon also took to Twitter (now X) to issue an apology. By April 2023, however, CNN decided to part ways with the longtime host. In a statement to CNN, Lemon claimed that he only learned of his firing through his agent, arguing that the network should have had "the decency" to inform him of his termination directly. CNN later denied Lemon's claims. "He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter," the network's statement read.
Reports later claimed that Lemon's tense exchange with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on air in April 2023 was the last straw. Even before this, however, Lemon was already a controversial figure at CNN.
Gretchen Carlson sued Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy for sexual harassment
In 2016, Gretchen Carlson took the late Roger Ailes to court. As The New York Times reported at the time, Carlson claimed her employment with Fox was unfairly terminated after she refused the now-disgraced Fox executive's sexual advances. In the months that followed, Fox settled with Carlson, and Ailes resigned from his post (he died on May 18, 2017). But the story didn't end there.
A copy of Carlson's complaint revealed that sometime in September 2009, she approached her supervisor to complain about her co-host Steve Doocy. According to the suit, Doocy treated Carlson inappropriately both on-air and even in between broadcasts. "Doocy engaged in a pattern and practice of severe and pervasive sexual harassment of Carlson, including, but not limited to, mocking her during commercial breaks, shunning her off air, refusing to engage with her on air, belittling her contributions to the show, and generally attempting to put her in her place," it read.
Despite being named in the suit, Doocy has remained on "Fox & Friends." Meanwhile, Carlson's story has also become an inspiration for the Showtime miniseries "The Loudest Voice" where Naomi Watts portrayed the veteran journalist. Nicole Kidman portrayed Carlson in the biopic "Bombshell," which is based on the story of Megyn Kelly, Kayla Pospisil, and Carlson taking down Ailes. Carlson was unable to participate in either project due to her NDA. "It was surreal for me to watch it on the screen, my story playing out," she told Variety.
Rob Marciano was allegedly banned from the GMA studio for his behavior
Once upon a time, viewers may have been surprised to find Rob Marciano out of office. The veteran reporter has been a fixture on ABC since 2014, starting as a substitute weather anchor before becoming the senior meteorologist. Over the years, Marciano also regularly appeared in shows such as "This Week," "ABC World News Tonight," "GMA3: What You Need to Know," and of course, "Good Morning America" and "Good Morning America Weekend Edition."
In 2023, Marciano continued to deliver weather coverage for "Good Morning America." However, his reporting never took place in the actual studio. As it turns out, this wasn't Marciano's choice. According to a report from Page Six, the decision was made to keep the senior meteorologist out of the studio following an incident with a colleague. "He was found to have done something ... that was improper, but he was punished for it, and they still haven't let him return," an insider told the publication. Other sources also claimed that there have been other incidents involving Marciano and that the meteorologist had anger issues.
Because of this, "Good Morning America" executive producer Simone Swink decided not to let Marciano do his segment from the studio for everyone's sake. Meanwhile, months later, in October, Marciano also announced that he was scaling back on his work with ABC, departing from his weather forecasting duties on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" to prioritize his family.
Ann Curry was fired from Today for no clear reason
Back in 2012, "Today" shocked fans with the sudden departure of Ann Curry, although she would remain on NBC. Curry herself confirmed the news live on the morning show. She also took a moment to address the audience, especially those "who saw me as a groundbreaker." "I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line, but man did I try," Curry said tearfully. Her exit came following rumors months before that NBC wanted Curry out of the anchor position at "Today" as the network dealt with disappointing ratings. There were also reports that executives didn't think Curry and her co-anchor, Matt Lauer, had chemistry. At that time, Lauer was one of NBC's stars and the network wasn't about to lose its golden boy.
Meanwhile, there was also speculation that Curry lost her "Today" job because of Lauer. Back in 2012, her last year on "Today," a female staffer at NBC confided in Curry that Lauer sexually harassed her. And while Curry kept the woman's identity a secret, she took the matter to the higher-ups. "I told management they had a problem and they needed to keep an eye on him and how he deals with women," she told The Washington Post. Months after her firing, Curry returned to "Today" briefly while the show was filming in London. For a moment, Curry and Lauer were side by side once more but by then, the former co-anchors already seemed distant.
Former Today anchor Billy Bush's lewd conversation with Donald Trump
Back in 2016, the U.S. presidential race was heating up and it was almost certain that Billy Bush was in Donald Trump's corner. The then-anchor for NBC's "Today" even had an outgoing voicemail message that said, "He's busy making America great again." As The Washington Post reported at the time, Bush was also caught having a candid conversation with Trump in an "Access Hollywood" tape where the former president made inappropriate comments about women and Bush egged him on. On the tape, Trump could be heard confessing that he tried to seduce "Entertainment Tonight" host Nancy O'Dell. Speaking about women, he also added, "I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait."
Years later, Bush also revealed that "Today" initially assured him that his job was safe after the tape was released. "I was told that, 'You're good. Don't worry about it. It's not you. You didn't say anything,'" he told Gayle King on "CBS This Morning." He also issued an apology, saying, "It's no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago — I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I'm very sorry." Two days after the leak, however, Bush learned that he was fired.
Bush later returned to television as the host of "Extra," but his new gig hasn't been without controversy. In another leaked tape in 2023, Bush can be heard making an inappropriate comment about Kendall Jenner's Halloween costume.
Laura Spencer mocked Prince George's ballet lessons on GMA
Even on morning shows with career journalists, gaffes can happen and people just laugh it off. Back in 2019, however, "Good Morning America" host Lara Spencer made an inappropriate comment against the young British royal Prince George, and no one was laughing.
It all began in 2018 when Prince George's parents, Prince William and Princess Catherine, revealed that their eldest son, then 5 years old, was taking dance classes at school. It was also revealed that ballet class was a part of George's school's Year 1 curriculum. The following year, when Spencer delivered hot news on "Good Morning America," she briefly discussed Prince George's busy schedule as he returned to school (as a 6-year-old) and openly mocked the prince taking up ballet.
Following Spencer's on-air comments, the backlash was swift with 300 dancers even showing up outside the "Good Morning America" studio in Times Square. Meanwhile, Derek Hough, George Takei, Rosie O'Donnell, and other celebrities called out Spencer. The "Good Morning America" host later apologized and even did a special segment with dancers Robbie Fairchild, Fabrice Calmels, and Travis Wall. "I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to apologize personally to you and for you guys coming in here to sit and talk to me and educate me and, again, I'm really sorry," Spencer told them.
Tamron Hall suddenly left Today because of Megyn Kelly
In 2014, Tamron Hall officially joined "Today" after making several appearances on the show for special events and reporting on social media trends. The veteran reporter had been at NBC News since 2007 where she started as a fill-in anchor for MSNBC. Since then, Hall has risen through the ranks after hosting several special reports for shows like "Dateline" and the Emmy-nominated TV special "Education Nation: Teacher Town Hall." She earned her stripes and "Today" was meant to be Hall's time to shine.
But then, NBC had other plans. In 2017, the network decided to cancel "Take," a segment on "Today" hosted by both Hall and Al Roker. In doing so, NBC would be able to make room for Megyn Kelly who was coming to NBC News just after leaving Fox News. And while Hall was allowed to keep working at NBC, she didn't really see it that way. "I go into work one day. I left fired. 'Demoted' I guess is what they called it. I called it fired," Hall later told ET.
Years later, she has bounced back, hosting her very own "Tamron Hall Show," which has won two Daytime Emmys. Hall has also been hard at work on her cookbook, children's book, and mystery book series "As the Wicked Watch" along with other projects.
Charlie Rose was accused of sexual assault while co-hosting CBS This Morning
Before 2017, it almost seemed like Charlie Rose was untouchable. Up till then, he was an esteemed journalist known for his interviews with the likes of former President Jimmy Carter, former President Barack Obama, and the late Steve Jobs. Rose also served as a co-anchor on "CBS This Morning" with Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell and it seemed that things were going great.
But then, in 2017, The Washington Post released a report revealing that eight women accused the seasoned reporter of sexually harassing them. Five of the women recalled Rose touching them inappropriately while two of them said that he once appeared before them naked. Kyle Godfrey-Ryan, who served as Rose's assistant in the mid-2000s, also claimed that the CBS reporter also exposed himself to her numerous times. Several former employees who chose to remain anonymous also claimed that they were uncomfortable with how Rose dealt with female employees. Others also witnessed actions by Rose that could be considered harassment. After the accusations came out, Rose said in a statement to The Washington Post, "It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed." Meanwhile, CBS News proceeded to fire him.
Megyn Kelly sparked backlash after her blackface comments
Just as NBC News planned, Megyn Kelly came on and took over an hour of its "Today" show after it canceled a segment by Tamron Hall and Al Roker. Despite the circumstances, it seemed like Kelly was going to fit in just fine. Her arrival was even celebrated by "Today" stars Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Matt Lauer. But not long after Kelly started to host "Megyn Kelly Today," things went very wrong. In 2018, Kelly had a roundtable discussion on Halloween costumes where she proceeded to defend blackface. "But what is racist?" she said on the program. "Because you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a Black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid that was okay, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character."
Kelly's comments sparked immediate backlash. And although the host issued an apology the very next day, NBC was swift in its decision. The network immediately moved to cancel Kelly's segment. It was also soon revealed that she was no longer returning to "Today." That said, Kelly reportedly got to make her exit with the remainder of her $69 million deal with the network.
Matt Lauer was fired from Today in the wake of shocking allegations
For a time, Matt Lauer was one of NBC News' most celebrated journalists. He even had an estimated $20 to $25 million salary per year to prove it, and it seemed like his morning show stardom would never fade.
But then, things began to unravel for Lauer. In November 2017, a woman came forward to NBC executives, accusing the longtime anchor of sexual harassment. "While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident," Andrew Lack, then the NBC News chairman, explained in a memo, according to The New York Times. Not long after that, two more came forward with similar complaints.
After NBC launched an investigation into its veteran reporter, it decided to terminate Lauer with the "Today" staff being informed of these developments just before the show was about to go on the air. Since then, one of Lauer's first accusers has been identified as former NBC News staffer Brooke Nevils. In Ronan Farrow's "Catch and Kill," Nevils alleged Lauer raped her in his hotel room while they were covering the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lauer later denied this to Variety, claiming that he and Nevils had a consensual affair. The former "Today" anchor was also accused of sexually assaulting other employees. Lauer At least eight people have come forward with accusations.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).