Interviewing a famous face can be a nerve-wracking hurdle. This feeling of anxiety is sure to multiply if the person to be interviewed is the President Of The United States.
This is what happened to esteemed broadcaster Robin Roberts, who almost turned down an opportunity to interview Barack Obama in 2012 and almost lost out on one of her career’s most significant achievements.
Almost a decade later, Roberts recalled the 2012 interview in her recent appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and explained to Ellen the reason she almost turned down the interview.
Read on to get details of the revelation.
‘I Was Afraid Of Being Outed’
The “Good Morning America” anchor confessed while on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that she almost turned down the opportunity to interview Barack Obama for fear of being outed as a lesbian.
At the time, the broadcaster got a call to interview the White House and found out there was a high chance that the then-President Barack Obama would change his stance on “marriage equality.”
She continued, “I had not been public yet about being gay, and I was afraid that I might be outed, that people might wonder, ‘Why is she the one interviewing the president when he’s making this change in his stance?'”
Fortunately, Roberts discovered that she could not pass up on the opportunity and couldn’t let her fears get the best of her. She told Ellen that she had a Moonstruck moment, telling herself, “Snap out of it; Robin, what are you thinking? It is not about you. This man is going to impact countless lives.”
She added, “And it was at that moment that I said, ‘I am gonna stop letting fear keep me from the things that I want to do.”
Robin Roberts Is Grateful That She Did Not Pass Up On The Opportunity
In retrospect, Robin is grateful to have done the interview. Not only did it skyrocket her career, it also aided her in leading an authentic life.
After the 2012 interview, she started to speak about her partner on her social media platforms, and all the fears she had about being viewed differently vanished. She added that although fear frequently kept her on the sidelines, that was no longer the case.
“I am not gonna get everything that I want in life, and I am not going to accomplish everything, but by golly, fear is not going to be the reason why I am not.”
While many of her loved ones and relatives had been aware of her sexual orientation, she did not come out publicly as a lesbian until 2013. She wrote a post on her social media platform that acknowledged her love for Amber Raign, whom she has been romantically involved with since 2005.
“I am grateful for my entire family, my long-time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together,” she said in a retrospective end-of-year post on Facebook.
However, at the end of 2021, Robert shared that her partner was diagnosed with breast cancer and would be undergoing surgery in January.
She Shared An Update About Amber’s Breast Cancer Battle
While on the same interview, the “Good Morning America” anchor shared an update about her partner’s health battle. This comes after she revealed that her partner, Amber, would be undergoing chemotherapy treatment for her breast cancer in February.
“I haven’t talked about it much, but, with you, I will,” she said. “She is doing well, which is great.”
She also shared that she previously battled breast cancer and felt empathetic about what her partner was going through. “I’m a puddle every time I think about what Amber is going through, but she is being so courageous and is handling it extremely well.”
Robin also added that Amber’s breast cancer battle taught her to become a better caregiver.
“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 navigated for me,” Roberts said. “So, I am doing the same thing for her.”
This update came after Robin announced, that Amber had suspended chemotherapy due to its side effects.
“They’re working it out. We’re gonna figure it out. The prognosis is still very good,” the broadcaster said at the time.
About Robin Robert’s New Book
While on “The EllenDeGeneres” show, she promoted her new book, “Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams,” which encouraged others not to be afraid of showing their true authentic selves.
“Everybody is a limited edition,” she said, adding, “I mean, how many times [do] you gravitate toward people who you know were being their true authentic self? It is just something that more and more people are starting to embrace, and I am grateful for that.”
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