Media tycoon Oprah Winfrey threw her support behind Live With Kelly and Michael‘s host Kelly Ripa, who is livid with co-host Michael Strahan for not telling her he was departing for ABC’s Good Morning America.
Ripa, 45, reportedly learned about Strahan’s decision when everyone else did — on the news.
“Blindsided is never good,” Winfrey, 62, told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday. “I don’t know who’s in charge, but somebody should’ve said, ‘This is gonna happen.’ You shouldn’t have to read it in the paper. Ever.”
Ripa reportedly took a “sick day” on Wednesday, leaving Strahan to inform their audience that “Kelly’s off today.”
A network source told The Daily Beast that Ripa will be off on Friday and was previously scheduled to be off next Monday.
Winfrey, who signed NBC Anchor Tamron Hall to her Oprah Winfrey Network, is no doubt positioning herself to acquire Ripa’s services if she jumps ship from ABC.
