When weatherman Sam Champion announced in 2012 that he was marrying his longtime partner, Rubem Robierb, it was the first time he had discussed his sexuality publicly. Off-camera, however, Sam never hid being gay from his friends or family—even from his late father, a military man whose initial reaction was anything but supportive.
“I cannot support this lazy lifestyle choice,” James Champion had initially told his son.
Sam shares his stunned response to this painful statement, and says that the two did not speak for a period. Yet before James passed away in 2010, father and son were able to repair their relationship.
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Watch as Sam explains how and shares a touching final memory of his dad.
Via the Oprah Winfrey Network:
Champion, the former ABC’s Good Morning America who is now morning anchor on The Weather Channel, married artist Rubem Robierb on Dec. 21, 2012, in an intimate ceremony in Champion’s New York City apartment.
