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It’s the look that says it all.
Seen together for the first time since going off the air, these exclusive images obtained by DailyMail.com show TJ Holmes and Amy Robach bundled up and in love on a chilly Manhattan day.
And while their careers may be on the line, today they seemed determined to keep up appearances.
Without giving an iota to the detractors, they gave no sign of lifting their foot on the accelerator when it comes to the issue that has plunged them into a maelstrom of scandal and uncertainty.
Earlier, the couple looked somber as they left Holmes’ apartment in the Financial District and headed to The Capital Grille, just a couple of blocks away.
Missing was the vertigo of their previous relationships, whether flirting in downtown bars or holding hands in the back of taxis, walking side by side but not touching.
But it was a different story when they left the restaurant smiling and holding each other.
Amy Robach and TJ Holmes were spotted hanging out again in New York on Thursday for the first time since they were suspended from GMA3 for their secret affair.
The two lovers went to lunch in Manhattan’s financial district before returning to Holmes’s nearby apartment, walking arm in arm, unfazed by the prospect of being seen.
Perhaps buoyed by the wine and conversation, the pair laughed and joked as they walked back to Holmes’s apartment building.
After more than two weeks of not being seen together, the co-hosts emerged today and showed the world that they just can’t stay away from each other.
Sources had told DailyMail.com that it was doubtful Holmes, 45, and Robach, 49, would risk being seen together while the internal review of their conduct is pending.
There was no PDA while they were sitting next to each other at the restaurant counter today. They exchanged glances and confidences, but there was no PDA over dinner.
Robach had arrived at Holmes’s apartment around midday, entering through the back door in an apparent attempt to remain unnoticed.
But any thoughts of being discreet were put to rest as they walked out the front door moments later and walked the short distance to the restaurant.
Robach ordered a salad and a glass of white wine while Holmes ate a steak; the turmoil of the past few days seemed to have done nothing to dampen his appetite.
They ate and talked quietly and closely, apparently not caring who might see them now that their secret was out.
Amy and TJ had lunch at The Capital Grille, where they didn’t seem too concerned about being seen, opting to sit at the restaurant’s bar among other diners.
Amy, looking casual in a hoodie, enjoyed a salad with a glass of white wine, while TJ, matching his girlfriend’s look, had steak.
There was no PDA as they sat next to each other at the counter, where they exchanged glances and confidences but no touches.
While they didn’t seem as giddy and flirtatious with each other as they did during their previous relationships, the ousted lovers seemed comfortable in each other’s company amid all the turmoil.
After lunch, Amy was seen leaving the restaurant with TJ following her, before heading towards her apartment.
At one point, TJ seemed to take a quick glance over her shoulder as they left the restaurant.
The couple continued their walk home, walking side by side, sometimes pensive and somber.
They headed back to the TJ apartment building, where Amy was seen arriving alone today just before noon.
Robach had previously spent some time in her old West Village apartment, once shared with ex-husband Andrew Shue, 55, and recently sold.
Accompanied by one of her daughters, she removed some belongings before the two parted ways and headed separately to meet Holmes.
After lunch, perhaps buoyed by wine and conversation, the couple returned to Holmes’s apartment.
They walked arm in arm, through the rain, perhaps now aware of the stares they drew from passers-by, as they gave the appearance of having eyes only for each other.
Until now, Robach and Holmes have only been seen in public separately since they were suspended from GMA3 a week after their affair was exposed.
Sources told DailyMail.com that while the two have accepted the fate of their marriages, they don’t want to “jeopardize their future with the network any more than they already have.”
Earlier, the couple looked somber as they left Holmes’s apartment and headed to the Capital Grille, just a couple of blocks away.
Missing was the vertigo of their previous relationships, whether flirting in downtown bars or holding hands in the back of taxis, walking side by side but not touching.
Prior to lunch on Thursday, Amy and TJ had not been seen together in public since they were suspended from GMA3 on December 5th.
But even though their careers may be on the line, today they seemed determined to keep up appearances.
At first, the couple seemed intent on making it cheeky, and Holmes sparked disbelief when she appeared alongside Robach and mocked the scandal after their relationship went public.
Then, speaking at the end of that first week, he joked that it had been “a great week” and that he wished it would “just keep going.”
Their next move was to claim they were “openly dating” and talk about “growing their relationship.”
And the truth is that when Holmes was first approached by DailyMail.com for comment, his knee-jerk reaction was a career-saving attempt to “absolutely deny” that the relationship existed at all.
ABC News president Kim Godwin began this week by issuing a memo to all staff in an apparent attempt to stifle speculation and gossip from the office about what she euphemistically referred to as the “ongoing issue involving the GMA 3 presenters TJ Holmes and Amy Robach”.
She wrote: “I understand that continued coverage can distract from the incredibly important work our team here at ABC News does.”
He informed the staff, ‘Amy and TJ will remain off the air until an internal review is complete, and there will be a host rotation on GMA3 for the time being.’
And while Godwin seems to strive to project a ‘business as usual’ image, insiders say Holmes and Robach are very interested in saving their own careers.