As many speculated, according to a report, Michael Strahan will be leaving Live with Kelly and Michael sooner rather than later.
WATCH: Kelly Ripa Returns to Live, Addresses Workplace Respect (VIDEO)
“May 13 is his last show,” a source tells PEOPLE. “He’ll take the summer off and GMA can integrate him early before September, and this will give Live! more time to find the co-host. He’s totally fine that. Now he can enjoy his summer.”
The source confirms that ABC executives apologized to Strahan, 44, for putting him in a difficult position, after announcing his departure last week, Ripa called out of work on Wednesday, leading to a tense, weeklong standoff, before she returned to work this morning, joking that the “long national nightmare is over.”
“They admitted that they handled it wrong and put him in a terrible position,” the source says. “The network decided and the show decided that they wanted more time to find the cohost. He’s fine either way.”
Also, People reports that the only communication between Michael and Kelly Ripa over the weekend was a cordial, business like exchange via text. He had no idea what she would say or how she would address her absence once she returned to the Live stage. A source close to Ripa calls the parting “amicable.” Hm.
