Robin Roberts and Amber Laign are happily married.
The longtime couple, who first met in 2005 on a blind date, tied the knot in September 2023. Roberts and Laign announced their plans to wed during a January 2023 taping of Good Morning America.
“I’m hesitating because I haven’t said it out loud yet … I’m saying ‘yes’ to marriage,” Roberts shared on the air. “We’re getting married this year.” She continued, referencing Laign’s breast cancer diagnosis, “It was something we had talked about but we had put it off, [Laign] became ill but … it is saying yes to that next chapter.”
Although they prefer to keep their relationship private, Roberts and Laign occasionally step out together at public events, including those that support various LGBTQ causes.
From their first blind date to their wedding, here’s a complete timeline of Robin Roberts and Amber Laign’s relationship.
July 26, 2005: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign meet on a blind date
During a 2014 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Roberts revealed that she and Laign first met on a blind date in July 2005. Roberts shared that Laign “doesn’t really like the spotlight,” but noted that she is “very, very supportive.”
“She’s been right there beside me every step of the way,” Roberts said.
On the couple’s 15th anniversary in July 2020, Roberts reposted Laign’s private Instagram post, where Laign shared more details about how they met.
“15 years ago I met you for drinks on a blind date that both you and I tried to cancel … twice,” Laign wrote. “Your grace caught my eye right away and the ease of the evening continued to flow through dinner.”
Laign added that she felt “butterflies” after they went on a second date.
“We had a second date soon after and I couldn’t believe how at ease I was with you as we shared each other’s lives sipping lychee and apple martinis,” she continued. “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.”
December 29, 2013: Robin Roberts publicly acknowledges “longtime girlfriend” Amber Laign
In a year-end Facebook post, Roberts celebrated her recovery from a life-saving bone marrow transplant she underwent to treat myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood disease she was diagnosed with in 2007.
Writing alongside a photo of her and her dog, Roberts thanked her medical team, family, friends and sister Sally-Ann, who also served as her doner, for their support. She then thanked her “longtime girlfriend Amber,” marking the first time she had publicly acknowledged both Laign and her sexuality.
January 6, 2014: Robin Roberts shares a photo of Amber Laign on air
A week later, Roberts returned to Good Morning America after an extended medical leave and shared a photo of Laign during a segment of the show, per ABC News.
“The family was all together in Baton Rouge over the weekend and we have a family photo over there,” she said, showing the photo to the audience. “Next to me is my girlfriend, Amber.”
She also addressed her prior Facebook post, noting, “My year-end post was just full of gratitude and just telling everyone all that I’m grateful for, including my girlfriend Amber who really loved me through a very difficult year.”
April 1, 2014: Robin Roberts opens up about her relationship with Amber Laign in her memoir
In her 2014 memoir, Everybody’s Got Something, Roberts described how she and Laign met when Laign was still working in the fashion industry.
“Mutual friends set us up on a blind date,” Roberts wrote, according to an excerpt published by ABC News. “I liked the fact that she had no idea who I was. She rarely followed sports, so she never saw me on ESPN, and her office mates at the time watched a different morning show … ouch!”
She also discussed how Laign supported her through hardships in her personal life. “She lovingly stood with me through the death of my beloved dad, Hurricane Katrina destroying my hometown of Pass Christian, Mississippi, and my battle with breast cancer,” she wrote.
May 19, 2014: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign attend the GLSEN Respect Awards
Roberts and Laign attended the 2014 Respect Awards, held by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, in New York City.
“I’m delighted to support GLSEN, an incredible organization that is working to end bullying and make schools safer for LGBT students,” Roberts said in a statement. “I’m particularly happy to lift up the leadership of students who fight for respect and dignity for all.”
GLSEN tweeted a photo of the couple on the red carpet with some of the students. “Honored to be with courageous students,” Roberts replied.
November 10, 2014: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign celebrate Roberts’ Glamour Women of the Year award
In November 2014, Roberts was recognized at Glamour magazine‘s Women of the Year awards. “Her warmth and compassion have turned her into one of America’s personalities,” former first lady Michelle Obama said of Roberts.
Roberts and Laign attended the awards ceremony together at Carnegie Hall in N.Y.C. and posed for photos on the red carpet.
April 2015: Robin Roberts says there’s “no fuss” with her and partner Amber Laign
During an interview with AARP The Magazine, Roberts recalled how Laign threw her the perfect 50th birthday party.
“It was my 50th birthday celebration, and she had heard me moaning and groaning about some kind of party,” Roberts said of a photo of the pair from 2010. “I’d told her all I wanted to do was dance on the beach. We were on Turks and Caicos [Islands]. She set the whole thing up — a dance floor on the beach — as a surprise.”
Roberts said she was “thrilled” that Laign “heard” her.
“With Amber and me there’s no fuss. We’re so happy. We’ve been happily in a relationship for 10 years and are looking forward to the next 10 after that,” she added.
October 1, 2016: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign celebrate Roberts’ Point Courage Award
Roberts was honored with the Point Courage Award during the Point Honors gala, which recognizes leaders in the LGBTQ community.
She and Laign attended the event at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The Point Foundation also posted a photo of the couple at the event on Facebook.
September 20, 2017: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign celebrate the fifth anniversary of Roberts’ bone marrow transplant
On a September 2017 broadcast of Good Morning America, Roberts celebrated five years since she received her life-saving bone marrow transplant, per ABC News.
Laign joined Roberts on air to share her experience as Roberts’ caretaker during the recovery period. “I learned so much every day just being there and being [there] every step of the way,” she said. “You’re being thrown information and you’re trying to keep it all together.”
She also offered advice to other caretakers, saying, “You have to take care of yourself … in your everyday life. If you exercise, go to the gym, find a yoga studio. Do something so you can just release all of this energy that you have built up from being around and being the giver and giving, giving, giving.”
May 5, 2018: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign attend the GLAAD Media Awards
Roberts and Laign attended the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Hilton in N.Y.C. During the event, Roberts presented Jay-Z’s mom, Gloria Carter, with the Special Recognition Award for coming out on her son’s song “Smile.”
GLAAD later tweeted a GIF of the couple on the red carpet with the caption, “@RobinRoberts and her partner Amber are at the #GLAADawards to help us honor the best of LGBTQ media!”
July 26, 2020: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign celebrate their 15th anniversary
The couple celebrated 15 years together in July 2020. In honor of the milestone, Roberts gifted Laign a collage, which featured a photo of themselves for each year. She also got her partner a celebratory cake and a set of personalized crystal champagne glasses for their “crystal” anniversary. For her part, Laign posted a sweet tribute on her private Instagram account, which Roberts reposted on her own.
“Having you by my side is a gift as we continue to navigate this thing called life,” Laign wrote alongside the collage. “You have the kindest heart and most beautiful soul than anyone I know. You have shown me time and time again to stay humble and to always treat others with the utmost respect as you never know what one might be going through … Happy 15th Anniversary!!”
April 1, 2021: Robin Roberts says she and Amber Laign have “never been stronger”
Roberts celebrated her 20th anniversary at Good Morning America during a live taping of the show.
After she and her co-anchors watched a highlight reel of her time on the TV program, the broadcaster was surprised with a permanent plaque in N.Y.C.’s Times Square to honor her legacy.
Roberts teared up and then brought Laign on camera to celebrate with her, saying, “Sweet Amber is here, who’s been with me 17 of the 20 years.”
April 18, 2022: Robin Roberts shares that Amber Laign paused chemotherapy
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Roberts revealed that Laign’s treatment had been paused “for the time” due to complications, but that the prognosis is still good.
“I’m just thankful that her spirits have been lifted,” Roberts said. “Recently it was a little tough there when — because she just wanted to get through it and to have this wrench thrown in our way — but I was able to tell her, as most people [who] have gone through cancer [know], this happens.”
June 8, 2022: Robin Roberts discusses her love for Amber Laign in PEOPLE’s Pride Issue
For PEOPLE’s Pride Issue, Roberts shared her coming out story with the hope that everyone can be “accidental, incidental activists.”
“I didn’t come out necessarily for me,” she said. “I did it because I love Amber. I was just thanking everybody. I did it via a simple social media post where I thanked my doctors, my parents. But then, was I not going to thank this woman who had been by me through this illness?”
Roberts added: “But people got it. ‘Oh, she’s just grateful,’ they said. ‘It’s just love.’ They didn’t make it anything more than me living my life.”
July 18, 2022: Robin Roberts announces that Amber Laign has completed radiation
On July 18, 2022, Roberts posted a video of Laign ringing a bell in the hospital to signify the end of her cancer treatment.
“Sweet Amber,” the Good Morning America host wrote in the caption. “Completing radiation, a very important phase of her treatment! 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.”
In the video, Laign says, “My treatment is done, the course is run and I’m on my way” before she rings the bell and does a celebratory dance.
January 2, 2023: Robin Roberts shares that she and Amber Laign plan to get married
While discussing New Year’s intentions on Good Morning America, Roberts revealed that she and Laign intend to get married in 2023.
“I’m hesitating because I haven’t said it out loud yet … I’m saying ‘yes’ to marriage,” Roberts said. “We’re getting married this year.”
She continued, “It was something we had talked about but we had put it off, she became ill but … it is saying yes to that, and that next chapter.”
Roberts posted the clip on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “Saying YES to marriage in 2023 💍.”
June 4, 2023: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign return from vacation
Roberts shared a photo on Instagram of herself, Laign and friends smiling on a boat. “Much appreciated break started with fabu time at @taylorswift concert….then our happy place, Key West…followed by trip with #travelsquad to #turksandcaicos,” she wrote in the caption.
“Not sad vacay is over, glad and blessed it happened!” the Good Morning America host added.
August 16, 2023: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign reflect on their proposal
Roberts and Laign spoke to Good Morning America about their relationship, recalling the day they got engaged. Roberts previously revealed in her memoir that she and Laign didn’t live together for the first decade of their relationship. But that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had talked about marriage off and on during the course of our relationship, and it didn’t come through for whatever reasons,” Roberts recalled. “But after the lockdown, we were like, yeah, we kind of like being around each other almost 24/7.”
They sealed the deal one night while eating at a restaurant, where they put rings of calamari on each other’s fingers.
“Now looking back, it was pretty fitting for us to not have a down on one knee [proposal] and one person doing it and who was going to propose,” the television host said. “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.’ ”
September 7, 2023: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign obtain their marriage license
Roberts and Laign revealed that they had obtained a marriage license by sharing a video on Instagram documenting their visit to the Farmington County Clerk’s Office in Connecticut.
“Where are you going?” the couple were asked in the clip.
“Getting our license,” Roberts responded.
“Road to the Ring is nearing an end,” Roberts wrote in the caption. “18 years and totally worth the wait!”
September 8, 2023: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign get married
Just a day after securing their marriage license, Roberts and Laign got married in Farmington, Connecticut. Their dog, Lukas, was among the 250 people in attendance. He even wore a bow tie on the special day.
December 3, 2023: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign enjoy a second wedding celebration
Roberts and Laign celebrated their nuptials for a second time in New Orleans. The party, which was hosted by the Good Morning America anchor’s siblings, included a lively brass band and a three-tier wedding cake.
“My thoughtful siblings hosted a festive wedding celebration for us in #NOLA for those unable to attend our ceremony in CT in Sept,” Roberts shared on Instagram. “Family jokes it’s the latest stop on the Amber-Robin gratitude tour! We are extremely grateful for all the love…but just don’t know how much more I can take!”
September 8, 2024: Robin Roberts and Amber Laign celebrate one year of marriage
The couple celebrated their first anniversary with a special meal. On Instagram, Roberts shared that a friend arranged for the chef from their big day to cook for them “since we never actually got to eat at our wedding.”
Chef Katrina from Farmington Gardens served up a shrimp cocktail, salad and salmon. For dessert, Roberts and Laign indulged in the tradition of eating their wedding cake, which had been in the freezer for 365 days.
Source: People
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