The Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts has long been one of the brightest smiles on our screens every morning. For years, she's had partner Amber Laign by her side but it wasn't until 2013 that the ABC broadcaster announced that she was seeing the licensed massage therapist to the public.
It was really Roberts' bone marrow transplant due to her myelodysplastic syndrome that led to her decision to up about her longtime girlfriend in a Facebook post. She explained to Ellen DeGeneres in 2014 that though her girlfriend didn't like the spotlight, she wanted to share with the public how important she had been throughout her illness and recovery in addition to her family.
"She's very, very supportive and she's been right there beside me every step of the way," Robin gushed. "And it was actually the end of the year on my Facebook and I had been thanking my doctors, my nurses and my sister who was a perfect match and I said [to Amber] I want to say thank you."
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The couple met on a blind date set up by friends back in 2005 and they've been together ever since. While the first two dates got rescheduled, the third time proved they were a perfect match. While we do get glimpses of Laign with her partner on red carpets and occasionally on social media, she still prefers to be fairly out of the limelight. In addition to being a massage therapist, we also know that she is the co-founder of the brand Plant Juice Oils which makes CBD and essential oils. Roberts is a supportive partner who even promoted the company on her own Instagram.
Like everyone else, the couple had to adjust to their new normal after the pandemic started last year. The anchor packed up her dressing room in New York City and they headed to quarantine at their home in Connecticut. The GMA host was working from her living room like most of the country but more importantly, she was getting some quality time with Laign that she hadn't been able to get in years past. There are probably a ton of workaholics out there who can relate!
"We're going on 16 years now," the GMA anchor, 60, tells PEOPLE of her relationship with Laign, 46. "We spent more time together this past year than in the previous 15 years combined. We've never been stronger."
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Editors Note: This article was originally published on April 9, 2021.
