Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan Had 'Tense Meeting' Before This Morning's 'Live'
The feud isn't over yet! Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan had a tense meeting this morning in her dressing room as they rehearsed their opening statements for this morning's Live! With Kelly and Michael, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.
"It was all carefully scripted and choreographed. Everything was rehearsed from what they would say to how they would enter and communicate with each other," sources told RadarOnline.com this morning. "The script was changed several times. At first she wanted a full on public apology and Michael was not willing to go that far. As far as he is concerned, he was just following orders from his boss."
Insiders also told RadarOnline.com that the pair spoke over the weekend, exchanging a few "cordial texts" before Ripa's return to the show.
"ABC does not want this to turn into the new Ann Curry situation. Where her departure from The Today show damaged Matt Lauer, Good Morning America needs Michael to split from Kelly with no harm to his brand. If he is going to increase the ratings of GMA, people, especially women, cannot hate him for breaking Kelly's heart. Kelly is aware of this and thinks she holds all the cards," a producer added of the situation.
This morning, Ripa arrived back at work to cheers from her staff and flowers in her dressing room.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Ripa was furious when Strahan "blindsided" her by leaving the ABC talk show for Good Morning America.
Meanwhile, Ripa's pal Andy Cohen thinks Michael is nuts to leave the show.
"Your name is in the freakin' title! . . . At GMA he is now one of five people sitting at that crowded anchor desk . . . I just don't see how you leave the greatest team in TV to be one of five people," he said on his SiriusXM show Monday.