Robin Roberts has revealed that she and longtime partner Amber Laign plan to wed in 2023, a year after the massage therapist was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The Good Morning America presenter caused the surprise Notice on Monday’s show while interviewing author Gabby Bernstein about her book, Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams.
Bernstein, 43, shared techniques for setting intentions in 2023 when she asked Roberts, 62, what she was going to say “yes” to this year. The nervous journalist, who has been with Laign for 17 years, admitted she hesitated to answer because she hadn’t “said it out loud” yet.
“I say yes to marriage. We’re getting married this year,” Roberts finally shared. ‘We talked about it, but we put it off. She got sick, and it says yes to this chapter and the next.’
Robin Roberts, 62, announced on Good Morning America Monday that she plans to wed her longtime partner Amber Laign, 48, this year
Roberts and Laign have been together for 17 years and have survived multiple breast cancer battles together
Laign, 48, was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2021 and news of their upcoming wedding comes five months after they celebrated the completion of radiation treatment.
Roberts seemed to surprise everyone, including herself, when she revealed her plans to tie the knot in 2023.
‘She said so. We have a yes,” said Bernstein, prompting the audience to clap.
Roberts started fanning herself with her cue cards when the manifestation guru encouraged her to create a wedding vision board leading up to her big day.
Roberts was interviewing author Gabby Bernstein about setting intentions for 2023 when the manifestation guru asked what she was saying “yes” to this year
The nervous journalist admitted she hesitated to answer because she hasn’t “said it out loud” yet.
The journalist explained that she was more focused on their future together than the details of the ceremony.
“I want to think about marriage, not marriage,” she said.
Roberts and Laign were introduced by mutual friends in 2005 after going on a blind date. The former spoke about their meeting in her memoir, Everybody’s Got Something.
“I liked the fact that she had no idea who I was. She rarely exercised, so she never saw me on ESPN, and her officemates at the time watched another morning show…ouch! She wrote.
“She’s extremely laid back, no drama, no fuss,” she added. “The main thing we have in common is positive energy. She sees the good in everyone.”
“I say yes to marriage. We’re getting married this year,” Roberts finally shared
Roberts added that she and Laign had discussed marriage but postponed it after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2021
Roberts didn’t share any details about her upcoming wedding plans, but she later celebrated the announcement on Instagram
Roberts had Laign’s support when she was battling and overcoming an early form of breast cancer in 2007. Five years later, she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a disease in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells.
She underwent multiple chemotherapy sessions and had a bone marrow transplant from her sister Sally-Ann Roberts on September 20, 2012 before returning to Good Morning America in February 2013.
The couple kept their relationship a secret until 2013, when Roberts first came out in a Facebook post. She shared a list of all the people she was grateful for in honor of the year coming to an end, including her “longtime friend Amber.”
Nearly a decade later, their roles reversed and Roberts became the one to look after Laign as she battled breast cancer.
Roberts revealed that Laign has breast cancer in a video shared to her social media accounts in February and said she had surgery the month before
Laign’s treatment was temporarily suspended in April due to complications from chemotherapy
Roberts revealed Laign’s cancer diagnosis in a video shared to her social media accounts in February, and said she had to step away from the morning show “from time to time” to be by her partner’s side while they were dating underwent treatment.
“My sweet Amber wanted me to tell you something she’s facing. At the end of [2021]”Amber was diagnosed with breast cancer,” she said.
The GMA star explained Laign had surgery the month before and started chemotherapy that day.
“Fortunately, the prognosis is good. And we’re so grateful to our family and close friends who knew this and kept it a secret until Amber was ready to share it with others,” she continued.
Roberts and Laign celebrated the completion of radiation treatment back in April
The Good Morning America co-host posted a video of her longtime partner ringing a bell to mark the end of radiation, “a very important phase of her treatment.”
Roberts beat breast cancer in 2007. Five years later, she was diagnosed with MDS, a disease in which the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells. Footage from her own bone marrow transplant aired on ABC in 2012 (pictured)
“She and I have been together for almost 17 years and have helped each other through our challenges, like my journey with cancer. Now it’s my turn to be there for her like she was for me.”
Laign experienced a setback last April when her breast cancer treatment was temporarily suspended due to complications from chemotherapy.
‘They’re working on it. We’ll find out. The prognosis is still very good,” Roberts told Entertainment Tonight at the time.
The journalist explained that Laign was frustrated at the end of her treatment, but understood what she was going through as a cancer survivor.
Roberts returned to Good Morning America in February 2013, five months after her bone marrow transplant
Roberts met Laign in 2005 but kept their relationship a secret until it came out in a Facebook post in 2013 (pictured).
“I’m just grateful that her spirits have been lifted,” she said. “It’s been a bit difficult there lately when – because she just wanted to get through it and have that wrench thrown in our way – but I could tell her, like most people [who] going through cancer, that’s what happens.’
“There are peaks and valleys, and we went through a valley,” she told ET. “But it’s more of a pinnacle at the moment and I’m just really grateful for all the love and support she’s receiving.”
Roberts, whose latest book Brighter by the Day is about spreading optimism, shared that she struggled with Laign’s diagnosis before she started listening to her “own words.”
‘It’s human nature… you know ‘why me?’ and then I thought, “Why not me? Why not me?” she said. ‘I can handle it. I have the power. I’ve been through this I can help Amber. She’s helping me, so I turned around, “Why me?” in ‘Why Not Me?’
Roberts, whose latest book Brighter by the Day is about inspiring optimism, shared that she struggled with Laign’s diagnosis before she started listening to her “own words.”
‘I can handle it. I have the power. I’ve been through this I can help Amber. She’s helping me, so I turned around, “Why me?” in “Why Not Me?” she said
In July, Roberts shared a heartwarming video of Laign ringing a bell to mark the end of her radiation treatment.
“Sweet Amber is completing radiation, a very important phase of her treatment! Thank you both for all your well wishes and prayers,” she wrote in the caption.
“Proud of her and all other Thrivers for your bravery and grace at a challenging time,” she added. ‘This is indeed my #MondayMotivation.’
Roberts didn’t share any details about her upcoming wedding plans, but she later celebrated the announcement on Instagram.
“Saying yes to marriage in 2023,” she commented on footage from her interview with Bernstein.