Robin Roberts, the jovial host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” reflected on what it was like to come out to her audience in late 2013 and her need to reconcile that with being Christian during an appearance on entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Jamie Kern Lima‘s podcast, “The Jamie Kern Lima Show.”
In the first of a two-part interview, Roberts and Lima discussed Roberts’ life and her lessons on success, self-worth and self-love. The discussion covered various topics, from Roberts’ fears of being shunned for her dual identities, interviewing President Obama about marriage equality and her journey of overcoming health obstacles—like believing she’s “worthy of love.”
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“It’s not the ‘Robin Roberts Show,’ it’s ‘Good Morning America.’ And there are so many people whose livelihoods depend on the success of our show. And so, if I do something that hurts the show, that hurts them,” Roberts said. “I would walk down the street with Amber, and if somebody saw us, I would introduce her. I wasn’t trying to hide but yet, I wasn’t ready to, to fully…And part of it is, and I’ve never said this before, part of it is because of my Christianity.”
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Roberts went on to say that it was because of her fear of people rejecting her identity as both “gay and a Christian” that she hesitated to come out openly.
“I was afraid that people, they think you can’t be gay and a Christian. And I am. I am and I was so fearful that I would be shunned,” Roberts said. “I received a letter, a beautiful letter from the National Office at the Presbyterian Church after I announced about Amber, fully supportive, fully supportive, and then I think about all those years I wasted, worried, needless worry.”
Roberts concluded by saying: “You know everything about me. And I have nothing to hide and to still be, still be embraced. I am blessed and highly favored. And I’m so grateful.”
In its first two weeks, “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” hit the #1 spot in Apple Podcasts’ Self-Improvement category and hit the top 15 in all podcasts on Apple Podcasts.
The latest episode, featuring Roberts’ interview, is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube.