Kay Johnson
T.J. Holmes
Update: TJ Holmes allegedly had prior sex with another junior ABC staffer: He was in a position of power over her, insiders say
Update: (January 25, 2023): The allegations against the ABC news anchor T.J. Holmes continue to grow.
According to new reports, T.J. Holmes had another relationship with a junior staff member, whose identity has not yet been revealed. An insider shared that the alleged incident happened in 2015. As previously reported, this is the same year as T.J. Holmes reportedly had a months-long affair with junior staff member Jasmin Pettaway.
The unnamed employee he was allegedly involved with was in her mid-20s and worked as an overnight associate producer at ABC during the alleged encounter. Sources say that one early morning, around 3 a.m., Holmes and the staff member were in his office with the door closed. Others working during this time could have heard “a bunch of rustling” coming from his private workspace. Eventually, the staff member left his office looking “completely flush” and like “a deer in the headlights,” according to an insider.
It’s unclear if the woman ever reported the alleged encounter to HR. However, she would no longer work for the network. While talking about the alleged encounter, a source said:
“He was in a position of power over her.”
They added,
“I think it was like, ‘Here’s this beautiful young girl, and she’s here in my office, let me make a move.’
Original Story: (January 19, 2023): More news has surfaced in the ongoing investigation into the ABC news anchor T.J. Holmes.
According to recent reports, the 45-year-old TV personality is accused of previously abusing his position and having sex with a network employee.
Apparently, the then 24-year-old screenwriter named Jasmine Pettaway reached out to Holmes hoping to pursue a career in television. According to an insider, the two grew closer after working the same shifts together. The source said:
“It was Jasmin’s first real job on television, and it was a big deal for her. She was looking for a mentor and she contacted several people. TJ was a reactive person, but he completely abused his position of trust.
Jasmine Pettaway
They added:
“He was a predator taking full advantage of his position and he was reckless.”
Apparently, the alleged relationship began in 2015 when Holmes was still married to his now estranged wife Marilee Fiebig. According to the insider, pettaway began to join Holmes for after-work drinking sessions, which eventually sparked a sexual encounter. The insider said:
“Holmes was someone who had drinks and he and Jasmin started doing it. You have to remember he was a correspondent at the time and he takes the time to talk to her about work or whatever…I don’t know how long it was before it turned sexual, but I do know the first time was in his office, and he was about to go on the air in a few hours.
T.J. Holmes
The source also alleged that pettaway witnessed Holmes sometimes drank in his office. Additionally, the source added that the media professional was starting to get “handicapped” with the writer in public, saying:
“He just didn’t seem to care. You know he’s got his ring on. He has a wife, he has a relatively big job, but he didn’t act like he was concerned about any of those things at the time.
TJ Holmes, Marilee Fiebig and their daughter
As previously statedboth Holmes and new partner/co-presenter Amy Robach would be lawyers to fight their ABC suspension. After news of their affair made headlines, the network claimed that a full investigation should be conducted to determine if any workplace violations had occurred.
As Holmes and Robach are equals in the workplace, sources initially claimed their affair was not punishable as it was between two consenting adults, despite both still being married at the time. However, rumors of Holmes’ the previous alleged relationships broke down soon after. Multiple sources claimed that the news anchor had in fact had prior relationships with several other ABC employees, some of whom were interns.
Although no update has been given by the network yet, it seems pettaway may be one of many who could possibly speak against Holmes. The source reportedly said Jasmine was left confused after having sex with Holmesindicating:
“They had sex and I know she was confused afterwards as to what that meant. This kind of ‘Did this really happen?’ feeling… Jasmin was a beautiful girl and he had everything on her terms. He was interested and then he wasn’t… She was a young woman, just starting out in a tough industry, looking for role models and mentors and she got TJ… No one was talking about abuse of power at the time, but things happened.
Jasmine Pettaway
Apparently, pettaway stayed with “GMA” for almost two years before returning home to Cleveland. She’s now married, an award-winning casting producer for ITV America, and founder of women’s digital lifestyle brand, Lemon-Love. In a previous interview, pettaway allegedly claimed that his departure from “GMA” and New York was due to:
“[a] mixture of insecurity, loneliness and a certain naivety”,
Add:
“ABC’s toxic work environment really damaged my self-esteem”
Neither ABC, T.J. Holmesneither Jasmine Pettaway reacted publicly to the latest reports.
TJ HOLMES, JASMIN PETTAWAY
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Do you believe the story of the sources on Holmes and Pettaway? Let us know what you think in the comments!