TJ Holmes and Amy Robach defended ABC News reporter David Muir after he was bashed for using clothes pins to tighten a loose-fitting flame-retardant jacket as he was reporting on the devastating Los Angeles wildfires this week.
“He cinched his jacket as many of us have done in the field and on this set to create a cleaner line,” Robach, 51, said on Friday’s episode of her and T.J. Holmes’ podcast, “Does This Make Me Look Fat?”
“Television is a visual media. So, yes, I have cinched my jacket,” she added.
While Holmes, 47, claimed he’s never done so, he confirmed he’s had it suggested by wardrobe professionals.
He also said people might be missing “the perspective” from the situation.
“The perspective might be missing in that often times — and I don’t know if he does — travel with a producer or even a wardrobe person whose job is — you might be looking at your phone, getting the latest, looking at notes or doing something, and people are pulling and plugging things onto you, the mic and the IFB [in-ear monitor] and all these things,” he explained.
“You don’t even know what’s happening to you, and someone could’ve made the decision of, ‘Let me do this with the jacket.’ We just don’t know.”
The former ABC News anchor added, “Just a little context: the guy works his butt off. If you don’t like what he did, fine … it’s a lot of be piling on.”
Muir, 51, has not outwardly commented on the backlash.
However, Page Six exclusively learned that people at ABC were “embarrassed and horrified” by the fashion faux pas.
One member of the network agreed with the “narcissist” allegations, saying, “His narcissism is quite large in the sense of this kind of thing.”
“I like David, except for this part of him. Anderson [Cooper], [Chris] Cuomo wear all the [muscle shirts], but they would never wear this [during a wildfire].”
Another source called the veteran reporter “pathetic,” adding, “He forgets he is the face of ABC News, not Abercrombie & Fitch!”
When Muir returned to report on the deadly fires Thursday, he ditched the clothes pins and left his jacket open.
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