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'GMA' anchor Robin Roberts and Amber Laign's relationship timeline, from a blind date they almost canceled to their on-air bachelorette party

Aug 18, 2023, 03:34 IST
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Amber Laign and Robin Roberts in 2022.Raymond Hall/GC Images
  • Robin Roberts and her fiancée Amber Laign have been a couple for almost two decades.
  • The two, who are set to wed in September, were first set up on a blind date.
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"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts and longtime love Amber Laign are set to the tie the knot in September, but the couple's love story has spanned almost two decades already.

After first meeting in 2005, Roberts and Laign kept their relationship private for the most part, but Roberts eventually went public with both her sexuality and her relationship in 2013.

Ahead of their upcoming nuptials, Roberts' "Good Morning America" coworkers threw the couple a bachelorette party on air.

Here's a complete timeline of Roberts and Laign's relationship.

2005: Roberts and Laign first meet

Laign reflected on her first date with Roberts in a sweet Instagram post marking their 15th anniversary in 2020, which was reshared by Roberts. The two were set up on a blind date, which Laign said the both of them had tried to cancel twice. But when they finally met, there was an instant spark.

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"Your grace caught my eye right away and the ease of the evening continued to flow through dinner," Laign wrote in the post.

According to Laign, they arranged a second date quickly after the first, in which they talked about their lives over lychee and apple martinis.

"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," Laign wrote.

Roberts opened up about their meeting in her 2014 memoir "Everybody's Got Something."

"I liked the fact that she had no idea who I was," Roberts wrote, per a memoir excerpt published by ABC News. "She rarely followed sports, so she never saw me on ESPN, and her office mates at the time watched a different morning show…ouch!"

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2007: Roberts is supported by Laign after being diagnosed with breast cancer

Roberts' breast cancer diagnosis was a key turning point for the couple, the anchor said in a Good Morning America feature on their 18-year-long relationship published in August 2023.

"We had only been dating not even two years when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. She could have bailed early on in the relationship. No one would have blamed her," Roberts said.

However, Laign remained by Roberts' side as she underwent surgery and follow-up treatments.

Amber Laign and Robin Roberts in 2014.Andrew Toth/FilmMagic

2013: Roberts first reveals her relationship with Laign

Despite weathering numerous challenges together in the first few years of their relationship, Roberts and Laign kept their romance largely under wraps, until Roberts revealed in a 2013 Facebook post that she was in a relationship.

In a year-end post speaking about her experience undergoing a bone marrow transplant as a result of her myelodysplastic syndrome, Roberts thanked her doctors, her family, and Laign, mentioning her by name for the first time.

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"I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together," the journalist wrote in the emotional post. It also marked the first time that Roberts spoke publicly about her sexuality.

Robin Roberts and Amber Laign in 2016.David Livingston/Getty Images

2015: Roberts and Laign adopt a dog together

After each of the dogs they individually owned passed away, the couple adopted a new pup together named Lukas.

In a 2020 appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Roberts joked that her girlfriend was upset Lukas had more Instagram followers than Laign did.

2020: Roberts and Laign quarantine in their home together

Like many couples, Roberts and Laign spent most of the initial COVID-19 lockdown together in their home, where Laign would help Roberts film segments for "Good Morning America."

Roberts reflected on her time with Laign during lockdown in a 2021 interview with People.

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"We spent more time together this past year than in the previous 15 years combined. We've never been stronger," the journalist told People.

She also said that the start of the pandemic helped her with "being patient" and "understanding what is really important."

Roberts told "Good Morning America" in the August 2023 feature that spending so much time with Laign during the pandemic caused the couple to finally make solid plans for marriage, after casually discussing it over the years.

Robin Roberts and Amber Laign in 2019.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Shawn Carter Foundation

February 2022: Roberts reveals Laign was diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year

Roberts first spoke about Laign's diagnosis in a video posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

"My sweet Amber wanted me to tell you something she's been facing," Roberts said before revealing that her partner had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of 2021, but that the prognosis was "good."

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"She and I have been together almost 17 years, and have helped each other through our challenges, like my journey with cancer. It's my turn now to be there for her as she was for me. and that means that I'll be away from 'GMA' from time to time, like this morning, as she starts chemo," Roberts shared in the emotional post.

April 2022: Roberts calls Laign 'courageous' amid cancer treatments

A visibly emotional Roberts told Ellen DeGeneres during an April 2022 appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that Laign was "doing well" with her cancer treatments.

"I went through it twice, barely shed a tear. I'm a puddle every time I think about what Amber's going through. But she is being so courageous, and is handling it extremely well," Roberts said.

"I'm able to kind of give her a little bit of a roadmap, because I've gone through it, but she's also given me a roadmap on how to be a caregiver," the anchor continued. "And I didn't realize how much I had blocked out during my journey, and it was because of sweet Amber. Because she protected me, and she navigated for me. So I'm doing the same thing for her."

July 2022: Roberts commemorates Laign finishing radiation treatment

"Sweet Amber completing radiation, a very important phase of her treatment!" Roberts captioned the short clip of Laign ringing a bell in celebration.

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"We both thank you for all your well wishes and prayers. Proud of her and all fellow Thrivers for your grit and grace during a challenging time," Roberts' caption continued.

January 2023: Laign and Roberts announce their engagement

The anchor revealed her marriage plans on-air, during a "Good Morning America" segment about setting intentions for the new year.

"I'm hesitating because I haven't said it out loud yet," Roberts said. "I'm saying 'yes' to marriage."

Roberts explained that marriage was something the two had talked about but put off when Laign was diagnosed with cancer, and described it as the next chapter in their relationship.

Roberts told GMA in the August feature that the proposal happened over a romantic meal of calamari at one of the couple's favorite restaurants in late 2022.

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"We took the calamari rings and we slapped them on each other's fingers and we just we proposed to one another," the anchor said.

As Roberts explained, it was "pretty fitting" for the couple to have a nontraditional proposal.

"It was just us hanging out in our little hole-in-the-wall Mexican spot and putting calamari rings on each other and saying, 'Let's go. Let's do it,'" she explained.

March 2023: Roberts reveals Laign's prognosis is 'excellent'

The journalist told Entertainment Tonight that it was a "rough year" for Laign, but that her fiancée was "doing really really well."

"Doctors said when it comes to treatment, it's like women and shoes — they don't always fit — and so they had to find the right fit for her with treatment," Roberts explained, adding that Laign is "ready to start a new chapter."

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August 2023: 'GMA' throws Laign and Roberts a joint on-air bachelorette party

The couple will officially tie the knot in September, and Roberts' coworkers threw the couple a beach-themed bachelorette party on Wednesday's broadcast of the news show.

During the celebration, Roberts and Laign were joined by celebrity guests like Michael Strahan and Niecy Nash, enjoyed mocktails created by chef Carla Hall, and danced to a performance by En Vogue. Some of their closest family and friends also attended.

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