'GMA' host Michael Strahan admits he should have been 'more present' for his children as he discusses parenting
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘Good Morning America’ star Michael Strahan has recently admitted on a podcast that he should have been more “present” for all his four children while working many careers.
The 51-year-old has four children with Tanita and Michael Strahan Jr from his first marriage to Wanda Hutchins and twin daughters, Isabella and Sophia from his second marriage to Jean Muggli.
But the former NFL star regrets not spending enough time with them and prioritizing work over his children. This revelation came in a candid talk with Brooke Shields on her podcast ‘Now What?’
Among many other topics discussed on the podcast, the one that Michael talked passionately about was the distance he built with his children because of his bustling career.
‘I do wish I did a lot of things better’
The "GMA’ host was completely vulnerable in the podcast and spoke freely about what had burdened him so far.
He appeared on the August 1 episode and revealed that he wished he was more "present" for his children when they were growing up.
Michael said, “I didn't know what my future was gonna be. I knew I'd work hard. I knew that if I had an opportunity, I would do my best at it. But it was still tough.”
He further elaborated, “[I was] so young and having kids and having all the responsibilities, I do look back, and I do wish I did a lot of things better as far as being a parent because I felt like there were so many times I should've probably sacrificed certain things to be a little bit more present.”
It wasn’t all gloom for the ex-NFL star. He recognized that his accomplishments helped him provide a grand life for his children but the price was too high.
“But then there are times I've looked back, and I think in order to have the life that I've been able to provide and give them, I had to sacrifice a lot of things," he said.
"A lot of people say there's a balance, but it's a really tough balance, and I don't know if there really is one in my instance,” Michael added.
Michael admitted all his mistakes as a parent but the 51-year-old has lived a life of diverse jobs. From a 15-year career in the NFL for New York Giants to hosting ‘GMA’ and ‘Live’ and now multiple business ventures, Michael has always been on the rise.
Despite all his success, Michael addressed his shortcomings as a father and vowed to improve them at all costs.
Michael Strahan's absence from ‘GMA’ continues
The ‘GMA’ host was last spotted at the anchor desk on Friday, August 4, and since then is completely MIA except for a brief appearance on August 9 for a Hip Hop segment.
Rebecca Jarvis has been filling in for him but this is the second time in a month when the ex-NFL star has been absent for almost a week from the show.
Michael hasn’t addressed the issue of his absence head on but his continuous social media posts about his different business ventures continue to give mixed messages to fans. There’s no date scheduled for his return to the studio.