Beloved "Good Morning America Weekend" anchor Janai Norman has opened up about leaving the ABC early-morning show, stating that she wished she had an official "sendoff."
In a recent interview with People, published May 8, about her upcoming memoir, "Breaking," set to release in January 2027, Norman spoke about her sudden departure.
"I loved my time at ABC. It was such a gift. I had so much fun, so many incredible experiences, and it was such a dream come true for me," Norman, 36, told the outlet. "Because of the way my experience unfolded, viewers were there with me every step of the way."
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“I wish I'd had a sendoff that honored the connections that I had with so many of my coworkers, and most importantly, the viewers,” she added.
Norman shared a video about her departure on social media
In early April, Norman released a candid video about her exit on her social media accounts, where she said she "hoped that we'd have more time."
"It’s been hard on me that our time was cut short," she said in the video. "I have loved my job. It has been a joy to connect with my coworkers and with viewers, to help keep you informed and entertained, and to create this community.”
Norman received plenty of love from fans and colleagues after she left the show, including from "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts, who said, "You are a true gem and thoroughly enjoyed working with you. I treasure our friendship."
According to reports citing Status, Norman's contract expired and was not renewed. In her farewell video, she said, "Stay tuned."
Norman will give a behind-the-scenes look of career in new book
Norman had been a co-anchor on the show since 2022, according to Deadline and Entertainment Weekly. An alumna of the University of Missouri-Columbia, she initially joined the network in 2011 as an intern," per her bio.
After some time in local news, she returned to ABC, working on several programs at the network. She is credited with helping spearhead the second hour of Saturday's "GMA" in 2019.
In her book, "Breaking," Norman touches on her personal mental health battles and her esteemed career, including her time as a co-anchor, according to People.
"This book gets to take you behind the scenes of some of those years… I'm really looking forward to being able to share another perspective of that same story," she said.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former 'GMA Weekend' co-anchor reflects on exit. See her comments
