In a June 4 town hall with ABC staff, Michael Strahan said he felt he couldn’t “speak up” as a black man, according to a source with knowledge of the call.
Strahan has been an on-air talent for numerous shows at the network, including “Live with Kelly and Michael, “Good Morning America,” its spin-off with Sara Haines and Keke Palmer, as well as “The $100,000 Pyramid.”
Some reporting indicated his comments specifically referred to his time with Kelly Ripa at “Live.” However, an ABC insider told TheWrap that the former NFL player was speaking about his experiences at the company at large and never mentioned “Live” by name when he said he couldn’t “speak up and raise his voice” in conversations about the projects he was involved in.
The town hall was similar to ones hosted by WarnerMedia, CNN and Condé Nast in the wake of the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd and a roiling national conversation about systemic racism. Numerous media companies have seen shakeups in recent days as executives have been ousted over diversity concerns and former employees have come forward to share their experiences as people of color working in media.
ABC News saw a major shakeup days after the June 4 town hall where Strahan shared his experiences. Top ABC News executive Barbara Fedida was placed on leave Saturday to allow the company time to investigate reports that she repeatedly used insensitive, racist and abusive language while addressing staff.