16-Year-Old Stepbrother Named Suspect in Carnival Cruise Death

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present – Episode: "16-Year-Old Stepbrother Named Suspect in Carnival Cruise Death"

Release Date: November 19, 2025
Hosts: Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the shocking developments surrounding the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, a Florida high school senior, who was found dead in her cabin on a Carnival cruise ship. What was at first seen as a tragic and possibly natural death has now taken a stunning turn: Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother has been officially named as a suspect in her death. Amy and T.J. break down the known facts, the investigative twists, the family dynamics, and how this crime fits into the rarely-discussed world of cruise ship deaths.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Incident: Facts and Circumstances

• Victim Identified: Anna Kepner, 18, high school senior from Florida.
• The Trip: Family cruise, departing Miami, visiting the Caribbean, returning to Miami.
• Discovery: Anna was found deceased in her cabin, under her bed, covered by blankets and life jackets.
  • Amy Robach (03:27): "She was found in her cabin under her bed, correct."
• Timing: Medical examiner claims to know she died on Nov. 7th at exactly 11:17am.
  • T.J. Holmes (05:10): "For them to give the exact time of death is very bizarre."

Notable Moment ([06:12]):

• Technological speculation:
  • Amy Robach: "What if she had an aura ring on or what if she had an Apple Watch on and maybe they were actually able to see when her heart stopped beating..."

2. The Shift in Investigation: From Tragedy to Suspect

• Initial Reporting: No foul play suspected; seemed a tragic but natural death.
  • Amy Robach (06:39): "It just seemed like something tragic but something that maybe was just a natural cause of death. This is a huge departure from what it was initially regarded or considered."
• Current Status: Court filings in an unrelated custody case reveal Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother (name withheld) is under investigation as a suspect.
  • T.J. Holmes (08:33): "They flat out say that her son, the 16 year old son that was also on that cruise, is now a suspect in this case."

Shocking Development

• The connection was only revealed due to the stepmother, Chantel Hudson, needing to postpone a custody hearing because "a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children."

  • Amy Robach quoting court document (10:09):

    "An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen... respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children..."

• The second filing explicitly names the 16-year-old as the suspect.

  • T.J. Holmes (11:00): "And a second filing in this same case identified and said the teenagers identified this teenager, at least with initials, said the 16 year old, quote, is a suspect in this case. Robes. Wow."

3. Reaction: Host Reflections and Media Portrayal

• Hosts' Shock and Emotional Processing:
  • Amy Robach (08:48): "That is shocking. It is jaw dropping to hear that."
  • T.J. Holmes (12:10): "A 16 year old murderer is still very difficult for me to get my head around."
• Murder on a Cruise Ship: Extremely rare; most cruise deaths are due to medical emergencies, not violence.
  • T.J. Holmes (20:10): "Estimates are that cruises annually result in about 200 deaths annually from a variety of things. Rarely violence."
• The “Cheerleader” Narrative:
  The media latches onto Anna being a cheerleader, building a certain image for the public.
  • T.J. Holmes (23:56): "Everywhere she was being referred to as a cheerleader... is that just a part of what we do to make people care more?"
  • Amy Robach (23:56): "We're personalizing someone, we're identifying someone and hoping that others identify who she was or who she might have been."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Paraphrase | |-----------|---------------|------------------| | 03:27 | Amy Robach | "She was found in her cabin under her bed, correct." | | 05:39 | T.J. Holmes | "How would they be able to know exactly when she died?" | | 06:12 | Amy Robach | "Maybe they were actually able to see when her heart stopped beating..." | | 08:48 | Amy Robach | "That is shocking. It is jaw dropping to hear that." | | 10:09 | Amy Robach (quoting court filing) | “An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen…” | | 11:00 | T.J. Holmes | “The 16 year old... is a suspect in this case.” | | 12:10 | T.J. Holmes | "A 16 year old murderer is still very difficult for me to get my head around." | | 20:10 | T.J. Holmes | “Estimates are that cruises annually result in about 200 deaths annually from a variety of things. Rarely violence.” | | 23:56 | T.J. Holmes | "Everywhere she was being referred to as a cheerleader... is that just a part of what we do to make people care more?" | | 24:51 | Amy Robach | "We're personalizing someone, we're identifying someone and hoping that others identify who she was or who she might have been." |

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:39] Episode Proper Starts (news content begins)
• [03:27] Details of how and where Anna Kepner was found
• [05:39] Discussion on the unusual specificity of time of death
• [06:39] Initial perceptions vs. new revelations in the case
• [08:33] Court filings reveal the 16-year-old stepbrother as a suspect
• [10:09] Reading and discussing the exact court filing language
• [11:00] Confirmation of the 16-year-old as a suspect
• [12:48] Other cruise ship death stories and the rarity of murder
• [20:10] Hosts discuss cruise death statistics and the rarity of violent crime onboard
• [23:56] Analysis of the media’s emphasis on "cheerleader" and victim portrayal

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Host Reflections and Broader Discussion

• Cruise Ship Dangers: T.J. and Amy discuss common concerns – mainly illness and going overboard, not homicide.
  Amy Robach (20:37): “I would never be concerned about being robbed or...suffering in some way at the hands of someone who...”

• Murder and Family Ties: The podcast comments on how extremely rare such family-related homicide circumstances are, especially involving step-siblings.
  Amy Robach (21:33): “You are more likely to die by someone who purports to love you than by a stranger...”

• Media Framing: T.J. and Amy critique the tendency of media to attach value through details like cheerleader status, questioning whether framing affects public empathy and perception of victims.

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Conclusion & Continuing Coverage

Amy and T.J. express their ongoing interest in the case’s developments and pledge continued coverage as more facts emerge.

• Amy Robach (25:46): "We will continue to follow this developing situation and bring you the very latest."

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In summary:
This episode offers an in-depth look at the unexpected legal twist revealing a stepbrother as a suspect in a high-profile cruise ship death. The hosts analyze the details, process their own reactions, reflect on media storytelling, and provide context about crime aboard cruise ships, making for a nuanced and compelling true crime discussion more focused on human dynamics and investigative process than sensationalism.

Transcript

[Amy Robach]

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[T.J. Holmes]

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[T.J. Holmes]

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[Amy Robach]

I turned off news altogether.

[T.J. Holmes]

I hate to say it, but I.

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[Amy Robach]

It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[T.J. Holmes]

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[T.J. Holmes]

Hey there folks. It is Wednesday, November 19th and a story that made national headlines. An 18 year old Florida high school senior found dead on A Carnival cruise ship, a mysterious death. And now we're getting word that her 16 year old stepbrother is a suspect in her death. And with that, welcome everybody to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. Do you remember this story was a big look. A mysterious death aboard a cruise ship gets attention and it seems like we seem to have quite a number of those. But when you're Talking about an 18 year old high school senior from Florida, this one made headlines.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. Because normally when you hear about some sort of mishap on a cruise ship, it is a body overboard, someone who is missing, someone who they are searching for, maybe even a body that has been found. This was altogether different. This young lady, and again, she was so young, just 18 years old, was found in her cabin under her bed. Correct.

[T.J. Holmes]

Now we say mysterious circumstances. They don't get more mysterious than this. And this isn't a case of overboard. This isn't a case of, well, what might have happened because we need to wait on a toxicology report. The mystery here is why an 18 year old healthy young lady is dead. But to your point there robes, this does not suggest an accident. With the information that has come out which is suggesting that yes, she was found covered in, was it blankets or jackets under the bed. That doesn't suggest an accident. So those were the circumstances. But what we're talking about here folks, and again it made national headlines. The young lady's name is Anna Kepner, 18 years old, high school senior from Florida. She was on this cruise. She was with her dad, she was her stepmom. And two steps. Remind me, what were the ages? I said the 16 year old stepbrother of course. But the other one was I believe nine years old. Okay, so yes, yes, family trip. So the cruise left from Miami, it hit a couple of spots in the Caribbean and came back to Miami. That was the cruise. But she was found Nov. 8 when the cruise came back. Now the, and this was another part of this robes that I didn't exactly understand. The medical examiner determined they did not know. Oh, they have not released Elise Robes the cause of death. But they said that they know that she died on November 7th. And not just that robe. They seem to say they know exactly when she died at 11:17am I'm asking you, am I missing something? How would they be able to know exactly when she died?

[Amy Robach]

You and I were just discussing this because that is, is very rare. We've never, I, I have never seen especially in a mysterious death, one in which we don't know Whether or not it's a homicide or natural causes or whatever, some something in between. For them to give the exact time of death is very bizarre. My best guess was what if she had an aura ring on or what if she had an apple watch on and maybe they were actually able to see when her heart stopped beating, when her pulse.

[T.J. Holmes]

That has to be it, right?

[Amy Robach]

And then they actually had an exact time based on that technology. That was my best guess.

[T.J. Holmes]

That has to be it, right? I, I, I feel like we're missing something that's right there in our faces. But that has to be it. But yes, they have an exact time of death, they say, but they have not released at least to us. Maybe they don't know yet, but they have not told the public how this young lady died. Again, it was a Carnival Horizon cruise. I, I help me hear Robes. I can't remember how many can get on this ship. It's 3 or 4,000.

[Amy Robach]

It's somewhere around there. Yes. And look, it seemed as though when this was initially reported that this might have just been some sort of tragic natural causes. You know, her heart stopped beating, there was an aneurysm. There was some undiagnosed condition. That was kind of the sentiment. It didn't seem mysterious. We didn't on morning run we see certain headlines. We pick and choose what we're going to actually put into the newscast for the morning. I remember we didn't include this because it didn't seem suspicious. It just seemed like something tragic but something that maybe was just a natural cause of death. This is a huge departure from what it was initially regarded or considered.

[T.J. Holmes]

This has, yes, as you're saying ropes this story has now flipped. A mysterious death, yes, is one thing. But now some details have come out. That detail in particular about her being found under the bed. Multiple media outlets are reporting that particular fact which would not robe suggest that this was necessarily an accident. So why is this in the headlines? Again? This is wild robes. We are finding out this information now because of a completely separate has nothing to do with this cruise legal case going on with Anna Kepner's stepmom that she was on this cruise with. Her name is Chantel Hudson. She is the stepmom of Anna Kepner, the deceased teenager from Florida. Chantelle Hudson is going through a custody, a legal custody fight with her ex husband. And so a couple of filings this week she had to make robes in relation to that custody dispute that suggest. No, no, not, not suggest.

[Amy Robach]

It didn't just suggest.

[T.J. Holmes]

Okay, that's fair to say, right?

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[T.J. Holmes]

They flat out say that her son, the 16 year old son that was also on that cruise, is now a suspect in this case. What in God's name.

[Amy Robach]

That is shocking. It is jaw dropping to hear that. And yes, this was. She had to give a reason why she couldn't proceed with a hearing that was scheduled because she said she had to be there for her son who is now potentially considered a suspect in this death investigation of his stepsister. That is a complete out of left field. Are you kidding me? Wait, what moment in this investigation?

[T.J. Holmes]

You know, I didn't think about until you said it. You, you said that's a what the hell moment. There was no suggestion anywhere in any headline that there was anybody in this family who was being looked at or talked about as potentially a suspect in the death of this young lady. And all of a sudden in these court filings we, we see now. So let, let us explain and let us tell you what happened. So in this back and forth with this separate custody hearing, the stepmom of Anna Kepner filed a motion telling the court that, you know what, we need to put a pause on my custody hearing. And Robes, she gives a very clear reason as to why she should not be now compelled to testify in this other custody hearing.

[Amy Robach]

All right. She writes, an extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein the respondent, slash mother will not be able to testify at the hearing at this time. Currently there is an investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation arising out of the sudden death of 18 year old Anna Kepner who was found deceased on November 9, 2025 on a Carnival cruise. Ms. Anna Kepner, the deceased is the daughter of the respondents Paramore. And the respondent and the minor children of this Instant action were all on the cruise ship together. The respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this Instant action.

[T.J. Holmes]

Can't be any more clear than that. Whoa. Can't be any more clear than that. And a second filing in this same case identified and said the teenagers identified this teenager, at least with initials, said the 16 year old quote, is a suspect in this case. Robes. Wow. This is again this 18 year old young lady, Anna Kepner with the pictures of her are everywhere. She is what you expect of an 18 year old high school senior from Florida. Bubbly, adorable, just looked like the whole, just the pictures and all of them are active on social media and whatnot. These Days. She is your typical 18 year old kid who's got a whole life ahead of her. So you see this picture? This story made headlines, of course. Mysterious death, you want to. Oh my God, it's a tragedy. But for whatever reason now this suggestion like what in God's name happened? This is a 16 year old, a stepbrother.

[Amy Robach]

A 16 year old stepbrother somehow is involved in his stepsister's death on this cross cruise ship. This took a twist I don't think anyone saw coming.

[T.J. Holmes]

And you're talking about. We're always talking about the potential of a 16 year old. Okay. A sibling is one thing. A 16 year old murderer is still very difficult for me to get my head around.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah.

[T.J. Holmes]

So yeah.

[Amy Robach]

Okay.

[T.J. Holmes]

This is early in the. We're trying to figure out what goes on and that of course they will be. And one of the court filings said that they are in the process of finding a Lawyer for the 16 year old. Right. So we don't know what happened. But the idea now rose, this made headlines. And of course anytime there's a death on a. It seems like they make headlines all the time. But when you hear about an 18 year old, of course this is going to make headlines.

[Amy Robach]

But to hear that she was found in the condition she was in with life jackets and blankets around her underneath the bed, that is so atypical. As we pointed out, we all have heard of cruise ship deaths. They all almost, I feel like unanimously are a story of someone going overboard, someone falling off the ship. The idea of someone being murdered on the ship tucked under the bed. And now a relative, a stepbrother implicated in this murder. This has taken a whole new twist that no one saw coming.

[T.J. Holmes]

All right. And folks stay here. When we come back, it seems like you see a headline every now and again. There were a couple of headlines earlier this year wrote that with didn't they leave. It was somewhere down in Australia or something. They left a passenger behind, was it not?

[Amy Robach]

She was on a hike. Yes, an elderly woman. They left her, forgot her, but she died, came back and got her. She had already passed away.

[T.J. Holmes]

Yes, we hear about these, but just how many deaths are there every year on cruise ships? We'll get into that. Stay here.

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[T.J. Holmes]

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[T.J. Holmes]

All right, folks, welcome back. Tammy and TJ Robes. We have been talking, actually, we've been talking for quite a while about the possibility of us going on a cruise.

[Amy Robach]

We have.

[T.J. Holmes]

And usually the first thing that we come up with to say why we shouldn't go on a cruise has to do with Norovirus.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, that's my big concern. I don't want to go on a cruise because of the possibility that, yes, norovirus somehow gets on that cruise ship and spreads like wildfire. And now this, this amazing vacation that you've spent all this money all this time for. You're in a bathroom for days. No, thank you. So that's always my biggest fear with cruise ships. But yes, there's also the fear of maybe being a honeymooner. I feel like that's not a good. Like that is who gets pushed over or something.

[T.J. Holmes]

You watch this. We watch too many shows.

[Josh Zeman]

Many.

[Amy Robach]

I read too many novels and watch too many TV shows. But, yes, if I'm in a new relationship or I don't want to be stuck sick. Those are two reasons why I've avoided cruise ships.

[T.J. Holmes]

So you don't want to go on a cruise with me?

[Amy Robach]

Oh, well, we're. We're not in a new relationship. We're just in a.

[T.J. Holmes]

Fair enough.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, we're in a mature relationship. So I know I would feel totally comfortable going on a cruise ship with you.

[T.J. Holmes]

But I think that probably is the one thing that deters a lot of folks, that the idea of illness. Sickness, the idea of going overboard is Terrifying, right? And we hear these stories and we see movie. This is a part of our. Just our culture in our entertainment. Shows and movies show somebody going overboard. You're gonna get rescued. Does the ship keep going? I wonder what would happen if I fell overboard? Would I be noticed?

[Amy Robach]

Depends on what time of night and depends on if you were with.

[T.J. Holmes]

Any night. Yes. The dead of night, going overboard.

[Amy Robach]

All right.

[T.J. Holmes]

We think about all these things. We don't necessarily think about murder.

[Amy Robach]

No.

[T.J. Holmes]

Being killed on a cruise ship. And even though these things do make headlines, it is extremely rare, folks. The estimates are that cruises annually result in about 200 deaths annually from a variety of things. Rarely violence. Overwhelmingly, it's what, a medical emergency. That makes sense because it's not going overboard.

[Amy Robach]

Older folks get on cruises, so that actually makes sense. And you know what? It's. I getting on a cruise ship would. I would never be concerned about being robbed or, I don't know, suffering in some way at the hands of someone who. Yeah, I actually would never fear violence. So that. That. That jibes with the numbers. I guess that makes sense. But I think your biggest enemy looks. If you talk to any homicide detective or anyone who's dealt in murder, they will tell you you are more likely to die by someone who purports to love you than by a stranger. Like, it's not even close. Statistically speaking, if you're going to die by violence, you are so much more significantly likely to die by someone who says, baby, I love you, versus some random stranger. So you should be less concerned about the other people on the cruise ship and more concerned about the person you're walking onto the cruise ship with.

[T.J. Holmes]

Jesus. That was what, the action. No, I know you're 100% right, but you just put it in a way that just sounded depressing.

[Amy Robach]

But this story in particular is really concerning. This isn't a romance, like, I think we get romance gone bad or some sort of, like, you know, a murder, a passionate murder. But step siblings, that is eerie and scary on a whole other level. And we don't know the circumstances. We don't know if he is actually. The stepbrother is actually going to be charged. We know he has been a suspect, but this is one that is on a whole other level. I think it's not something that we would expect. It's not a murder that you would see actually on all of the murder stories we watch on television like this. A step brother, stepsister, sibling kind of murder. Sibicide. That is not something you see very often. So if that is this case, that is going to be very interesting to see what led to this and what comes out of it.

[T.J. Holmes]

Yeah. And look, we just have to pause there. We just have to allow for getting more information out about what happens. Just the idea of a 16, 18 year old child, this is a child, right. Being a murderer. What could have possibly happened. But again these court filings state and again these court filings are from the mom herself and her side stating that her child is a suspect. So we are getting this. That you can't get a better source than that. Right. So we're not, this isn't speculation. This is from her that her child is a suspect. We do know the young lady, Anna Kaeperner, there will be memorial service for her tomorrow on Thursday again. And we talked about this as well. I don't know what to make of it. Robe. But it, it bothered me or disturbed me or at least got our attention that everywhere she was being referred to as a cheerleader. Cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader. And that's, and that's a fact. She was a cheerleader. And that's, that's fine. It, it for some way. And maybe you're right and maybe that's a part of the media. How do you make people care? If you just say an 18 year old, that's one thing. If you say an 18 year old high school senior, that's another thing. If you say an 18 year old high school senior who's a cheerleader, is that just a part of what we do to make people care more?

[Amy Robach]

Yes, I do think we're like in terms of that choice, we're personalizing someone, we're identifying someone and hoping that others identify who she was or who she might have been. You connect with someone, the more you know of them. You and the cheerleader thing. Yes. I think they're painting a picture of this girl, this sweet, happy, go lucky cheerleader, positive high school senior with the world in front of her. Yes, there is an image that's being created. But if it makes people care, if it makes people listen, if it makes people sit up and notice what happened and at least be curious and want to follow through with the story to make sure that if she was in fact if she met harm, that there is justice for her, you know, I get it. There it is a formula that local media and media in general follow. We're trying to get people on board with the story we're storytelling.

[T.J. Holmes]

I get it. But in giving value to her being a cheerleader, does it take away value from another who isn't a cheerleader, who doesn't do this thing, who isn't in that group. He isn't a part of this. That is the only part I hesitate. Well, these are facts. She was a cheerleader. And that's okay. That's perfectly fine. But we, we noticed like, cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader. And people were sending us notes about the story and hey, you hear about the cheerleader, it just, it's just what we do.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, we, we get kind of watered down to this basic general feeling of like what we represent and it's not always the full picture. So.

[T.J. Holmes]

And what, and who we value is what we say and who we value. Yes, this young lady is absolutely valuable. Make sure we're not taking away from that. She is as much value as any other kid in America. But the point is, every other kid in America is just as valuable as she is as well.

[Amy Robach]

No, that's a really good point. And like how it's not about just telling the stories and how we, it's how we choose to tell them and how we choose to depict them. So that is a very important part of this. But we will continue to follow this developing situation and bring you the very latest. But we thank you for listening to us. I'm Amy Robach alongside T.J. holmes. We will talk to you very soon.

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[Kalpen (Kal Penn)]

A decade ago, I was on the trail of one of the country's most elusive serial killers. But it wasn't until 2023 when he was finally caught, the answers were there, hidden in plain sight. So why did it take so long to catch him? I'm Josh Zeman and this is Monster Hunting the Long Island Serial Killer. The investigation into the most notorious killer in New York since the Son of Sam. Available now listen for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Josh Zeman]

The murder of an 18 year old girl in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved for years until a local housewife, a journalist and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[T.J. Holmes]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns.

[Josh Zeman]

Listen to Graves county on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and to binge the entire season ad free. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Amy Robach]

Welcome to Decoding Women's Health. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Poynter, chair of Women's Health and Gynecology at the Atria Health Institute in New York City. I'll be talking to top researchers and clinicians and bringing vital information about midlife women's health directly to you.

[T.J. Holmes]

100 of women go through menopause. Even if it's natural, why should we suffer through it?

[Amy Robach]

Listen to Decoding Women's Health with Dr. Elizabeth Poynter on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way.

[Kalpen (Kal Penn)]

Yo, yo, yo, yo.

[T.J. Holmes]

Can we get a Thanksgiving first? I'm hungry.

[Amy Robach]

What's up, y'?

[T.J. Holmes]

All? It's Kadeen and Deval, the host of the Ellis Ever after podcast.

[Amy Robach]

This holiday season, tune out the noise.

[T.J. Holmes]

And tune in to Ellis Ever After.

[Amy Robach]

On Ellis Ever after, we get real with our crew about family, love, and.

[T.J. Holmes]

Marriage and everything else in between.

[Amy Robach]

Listen to Ellis Ever after on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Ellis ever after and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today. This is an iHeart podcast.