TJ Holmes had an affair with a script coordinator 13 years his junior who approached him as a potential mentor but felt uncomfortable and taken advantage of after the relationship turned sexual, can exclusively reveal.
According to a well-placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the affair with then 24-year-old Jasmin Pettaway took place in 2015, when Holmes had been married to his now-estranged wife, Marilee Fiebig, for five years.
The source, who knew Pettaway well at the time, said: “He was a predator who took full advantage of his position and he was ruthless.
“It was Jasmin’s first real job in television and it was a big deal for her. Looking for a mentor, she turned to several people. TJ was someone who was approachable, but he absolutely abused the trust,” the source said.
TJ Holmes had an affair with ABC script coordinator Jasmine Pettaway, who turned to him for help as she settled into her new job. She was 24 at the time of the affair and Holmes is 13 years her senior
Pettaway and Holmes’ sexual relationship lasted several months and included him visiting her at her home before, the source said, “it fizzled out.”
Holmes was married to Marilee Figbee when the affair with Pettaway took place in 2015, a well-placed source told . The man and woman look happy together in 2013
At the time, Pettaway and Holmes, who joined the ABC News team in September 2014, often worked the same shifts.
The source said: “Holmes was someone who used to get drinks and he and Jasmine started it. You have to keep in mind that he was a correspondent at the time and takes time to talk to her about work or whatever.
“I don’t know how long this was before it turned sexual, but I do know it was the first time it was in his office and he was due to go on the air in a few hours.”
The source said Pettaway later told them that Holmes called her to his office, where she saw him drinking alcohol.
It’s like a shift in atmosphere, almost an expectation that something is going to happen, and it did.
“They had sex and I know she was confused afterwards as to what that meant. That kind of ‘did that really just happen?’ Feeling. I mean, that’s pretty risky behavior on his part.”
It was part of a pattern of “incredibly reckless” behavior on Holmes’ part, the source said. On one occasion, the source said the pair were having a drink together when he got “handy” in a very public place and in a very public way.
They said, ‘He just didn’t seem to care. You know he’s wearing his ring. He’s got a wife, he’s got a relatively high-profile job, but he didn’t act like he was concerned about either of those things at the time.
Holmes’ rep did not respond to ‘s request for comment. Pettaway declined to comment.
Pettaway and Holmes’ sexual relationship lasted several months and included him visiting her at her apartment before, according to the source, “it fizzled out.”
The source said that Holmes didn’t seem to care that he was married or that he might risk his job by having multiple affairs with women on the network
“This was a young woman starting out in a tough industry looking for role models and mentors, and she got TJ,” the source said. “Back then nobody talked about abuse of power, but something happened”
On one occasion, the source said Holmes and Pettaway were having a drink together when he got “handy” in a very public place and in a very public way. Pettaway was 24 at the time of the affair, and the sexual relationship left the young clerk “confused.”
The source said: “What does that say? “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it burned in one.” That’s how it went with Jasmine and TJ. It didn’t take long, but one wonders if he ever invested in the role of mentor at all?
“Jasmin was a beautiful girl and he had everything on his terms. He was interested and then he wasn’t.
“This was a young woman starting out in a tough industry looking for role models and mentors, and she got TJ
“Back then nobody talked about abuse of power, but a lot happened.”
Pettaway later became a segment producer for GMA, staying with ABC in New York for two years before returning to her hometown of Cleveland in late 2016, where she joined the network’s local affiliate.
Today she is an award-winning casting producer for ITV America, married and the founder of women’s digital lifestyle brand, Lemon-Love.
In an online interview with Voyage Ohio in 2021, she reflected on her departure from New York, saying it was due to a “mixture of insecurity, loneliness and a bit of naivety.” She also admitted that ABC’s “toxic work environment has really damaged my self-esteem.”
was told that Pettaway wasn’t the only female subordinate Holmes put the reins on, as multiple sources say a young network intern described herself as “stressed out” and “freaked out” by his unwanted advances.
According to the source: “It was him. Did he ever want to be professional when it came to jasmine or just spoil the fruit he got? I do not know. All I know is that he always wanted to be the bragging guy.
“He didn’t seem to care that he was married or that he might risk his job.”
was told that attempts to raise concerns about Holmes’ “behavioural issues” – including drinking alcohol in his office and before he went on air – were rebuffed by at least one executive producer who “didn’t want to know” when he was told that the star was “a huge liability”.
broke the news of Holmes’ affair with married GMA3 co-host Amy Robach, 49, last November
Homes and Robach spent a weekend in a cozy cottage in the Shawangunk Mountain area and checked out of their rental on Sunday, November 13th. Holmes was seen playfully hugging his lover from behind as she grabbed the car
In fact, was told that attempts to raise concerns about Holmes’ “behavioural issues” – which included drinking alcohol in his office and before the show – were rebuffed by at least one executive producer, who “didn’t want it”. . know” when he was told the star was “a huge liability.”
previously revealed that Holmes had a three-year affair with Good Morning America producer Natasha Singh, 37, which began in 2016
After broke the news of Holmes’ affair with married GMA3 co-host Amy Robach, 49, last November, news of a previous affair surfaced.
In 2016, Holmes began a three-year affair with GMA producer Natasha Singh, 37. At the time, she was married to film producer Garrett Braren, whose credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. She was also a close friend of Robach.
In fact, it was Robach who helped Holmes save his marriage after wife Marilee Feibig, 44, learned of his infidelity to Singh.
But neither Robach’s nor Holmes’ 12-year marriages could survive the revelation of their affair, which began as a friendship bubbling with obvious chemistry and had “crossed the line” last year.
Shortly after Christmas, Holmes’ wife filed for divorce. Robach’s divorce from her husband, former Melrose Place actor Andrew Shue, 55, is reportedly all but final.
Her professional future is still hanging in the balance. With ABC executives yet to make a final decision, the official line remains that the co-hosts-turned-lovers will be “indefinitely” removed from their seats on the morning show’s lunchtime slot.