From her basketball career, to her time in sports media, to hosting “Good Morning America,” Robin Roberts has been in the spotlight for a long time. Even with all those experiences to draw from, she was still understandably nervous about coming out as gay.
While she wasn’t hiding her sexuality in her everyday life, the TV personality was very aware that not everyone watching “GMA” was going to accept her being so open. She was extremely concerned about her decision affecting the rest of the crew.
“It’s not the Robin Roberts Show, it’s ‘Good Morning America,’ and there are so many people whose livelihoods depend on the success of our show,” Roberts told podcast host Jamie Kern Lima. “And so, if I do something that hurts the show, that hurts them.”
Robin also struggled internally with balancing her sexuality and her faith.
“I was afraid,” she said. “People, they think you can’t be gay and a Christian, and I am. I was so fearful that I would be shunned.”
After she came out in December 2013, the women’s basketball hall of famer received a “beautiful letter” from the National Office at the Presbyterian Church declaring that it was “fully supportive” of her.
“And then I think about all those years I wasted, worried — needless worry. And we all are guilty of this,” she said. “Think about all these things that we worry about that never come to fruition. And we just spend all of this energy on that.”
In the end, as afraid as she was, it was time to reveal this last piece of her personal life to the world. While some people will never be able to set aside their judgment and discrimination, Robin is respected and beloved by the audience, something she’s immensely “grateful” for.
“I had to believe this was right on time. This was the time in my life that was right. It felt good. And I can’t even imagine now people not knowing everything about me,” Roberts said. “You know what’s so freeing about it also? It’s like, ‘Bring it on. You know everything about me. And I have nothing to hide.’ And to still be embraced, I am blessed and highly favored. I’m so grateful.”