Robin Roberts leaves ‘GMA' for ‘incredible journey' with wife
The 'Good Morning America' anchor, 64, has been temporarily absent from the show's broadcast for good reason.
Instead of spending her days in the studio, Roberts took a trip with her wife, Amber Laign, to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The couple traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to do some good.
8 Robin Roberts on the set of 'Good Morning America.'
GC Images
'We're in #Rwanda as guests of @inmuwetrust_ & @giantsofafrica celebrating young basketball players across Africa,' the journalist captioned her Sunday Instagram post. 'Every last Saturday in the month in Rwanda is a national day of service.'
Roberts added, 'Wonderful way for the two of us to celebrate 20 years as a couple…it certainly has been an adventure! 💕#goafestival.'
8 Robin Roberts spends time in Rwanda with her wife.
Instagram/robinrobertsgma
The pair, who met on a blind date in 2005, officially tied the knot in 2023.
Laign, meanwhile, shared her own social media post about their recent adventure.
Alongside a video of the service group dancing and chanting, the former massage therapist wrote, '20 Years, 20 Countries, One Incredible Journey ❤️🌍.'
'Robin and I celebrated our 20-year anniversary in a way we'll never forget — in Rwanda, with Giants of Africa, surrounded by the energy, joy, and spirit of youth from 20 African countries,' Laign continued.
Their vacation solidified what is most important in this world.
'From dancing to community service that touched our hearts, this experience reminded us what truly matters: connection, purpose, and giving back. We're beyond grateful to have shared this milestone in such a powerful and uplifting way. Thank you, Giants of Africa, for letting us be part of something so meaningful,' she shared.
8 Robin Roberts and Amber Laign attend the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Getty Images for GLAAD
Roberts also posted a clip of her wife dancing, writing, 'No matter where we are in the world…she hears music and she's just gotta dance! Never a dull moment with this one.'
This trip to Rwanda was a long time coming for the spouses. Roberts and Laign first discussed their anniversary plans in June while speaking to People.
'We're [actually going] to Rwanda,' the reporter said. 'Because we wanted to celebrate that way, because our time together has been an adventure. And we thought what better way than to be with the gorillas … in Rwanda?'
8 Robin Roberts on 'GMA.'
John D Shearer/Shutterstock
Along with volunteering together, Laign revealed the other ways she keeps their 20-year relationship alive.
'We keep it fresh,' she quipped. 'You've got to keep it fresh, have our little date nights.'
Last month, Laign divulged another hack that keeps their romance in full swing.
8 NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Robin Roberts and Amber Laign attend 'Call Me Izzy' Broadway opening night.
Getty Images
'The true secret: separate apartments,' she confessed to E! News, adding, 'Communication, keeping it fresh, trust—all the good pillars.'
'Trust is very, very big,' Roberts added. 'We've had peaks and valleys—mainly majority peaks, but there have been some valleys.'
'Once we learned to not look at each other through the lens of our childhood, that was a real breakthrough for us,' she explained. 'It was a real understanding [of] having different paths to get here.'
8 Amber Laign and Robin Roberts celebrate Robin Roberts' 20th 'GMA' anniversary.
GC Images
Roberts also acknowledged their decades-long commitment, which is no small feat.
'I mean, 20 years,' she gushed. 'Something's got to be working.'
Laign lives in her home in Connecticut, while Roberts resides in her New York City apartment.
Roberts first mentioned their living arrangements in her 2014 memoir, 'Everybody's Got Something.'
8 Robin Roberts and Amber Laign smile for a selfie.
robinrobertsgma/Instagram
She penned, 'Amber and I have been a loving couple for almost ten years now, but we choose not to live together. Maybe that's why we've lasted almost a decade!'
Despite having her own abode, Laign couldn't be happier with the partner she chose.
'15 years ago I met you for drinks on a blind date that both you and I tried to cancel…twice,' she shared in a 2020 Instagram anniversary post. 'Your grace caught my eye right away and the ease of the evening continued to flow through dinner.'
8 Robin Roberts and Amber Laign.
robinrobertsgma/Instagram
After that, there were no more cancellations to be had.
'We had a second date soon after and I couldn't believe how at ease I was with you as we shared each other's lives sipping lychee and apple martinis,' she continued. 'You left for Tahiti the following day and during that time apart I grew this feeling inside of me that still is very present today…butterflies.'
Years later, Roberts took the leap to make things official.
'I'm hesitating because I haven't said it out loud yet … I'm saying 'yes' to marriage,' she shared on 'GMA' in 2023. 'We're getting married this year.'
Referencing Laign's previous breast cancer battle, of which Roberts is a survivor too, she added, 'It was something we had talked about, but we had put it off. [Laign] became ill but … it is saying yes to that next chapter.'
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