Friend Releases Surprising Text Messages From Husband Arrested In Missing Wife Case

Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Friend Releases Surprising Text Messages From Husband Arrested In Missing Wife Case
Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Date: April 10, 2026
Theme:
Amy and TJ dive deep into the perplexing disappearance of Lynette Hooker, focusing on the shocking release of text messages from her husband Brian Hooker to his friend, Daniel Danforth, after the incident. The episode scrutinizes new details and inconsistencies in Brian's story, the friend's suspicions, and updates on the investigation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Recap and Latest Developments

[02:37 - 04:09]

• Lynette Hooker (55) went missing in the Bahamas while boating with her husband, Brian Hooker (58).
• Brian claims Lynette fell overboard from their dinghy at sundown; he couldn't retrieve her due to "choppy seas" and paddled for hours to shore.
• Search has shifted from rescue to recovery as Lynette is presumed dead; Brian was arrested but not yet charged.
• Bahamian police have 48 hours to charge or release Brian, possibly extending for 96 additional hours.

“Right now this case is a case of he said and she can’t say anything because she is presumed dead. This is a search and recovery at this point.” — TJ Holmes [03:51]

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2. The Friend’s Testimony and Released Texts

[05:12 – 06:40]

• Brian’s friend, Daniel Danforth, shared text messages sent after the accident, providing new and potentially damning details.
• Text excerpt: Brian describes Lynette falling off the dinghy in "choppy seas" and being separated by wind; she “swam towards the sailboat.”
• Brian continues: “I drifted and tried to paddle with one oar for the next seven hours until I washed up behind the shore of the next island over and was able to get some help. Finally, we are all still searching… a storm is coming in Wednesday.”
• Amy notes a key inconsistency: Brian’s description to his friend includes Lynette actively swimming, whereas police reported Brian saying they were immediately separated.

“I actually couldn’t even believe I was reading it … This is his friend who’s saying this.” — Amy Robach [05:12]
“He didn’t say that she was okay when she got in the water and started swimming towards the sailboat. That is a completely new piece of information.” — Amy Robach [07:03]

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3. Major Inconsistencies and Red Flags

[07:30 – 16:27]

a. The Story Doesn’t Add Up

• Discrepancies between Brian’s police statement and his texts to Danforth:
  • Texts mention Lynette swimming toward the sailboat at sundown; police weren’t told this.
  • Brian’s focus on “choppy seas” is suspicious given Lynette’s experience as a boater/swimmer.
• Odd focus on logistics: Brian’s texts focus on boat location and weather, not on urgent search or emotional distress.

b. Facebook Activity

• Brian liked a Facebook post about boating made by Danforth’s wife while Lynette was missing.
  • “My wife's missing. Facebook's the last thing I’m worried about. You’re gonna find me on the water, riding around, not on Facebook.” — Daniel Danforth, quoted by Amy Robach [11:05]

c. Boat Movement

• Brian moved the sailboat immediately after Lynette went missing, which Danforth, an avid boater, found highly irregular.
  • “You're worried about repositioning your boat somewhere?” — Amy Robach [11:27]

d. The Key & Phone Mystery

• Brian told police he didn’t have the boat key because Lynette had it on her when she went overboard.
• Multiple boating experts (including Danforth and Lynette’s daughter) claim boat keys are never worn—always left in place on the boat:
  • “Nobody is sitting in a dinghy with the key to the dinghy in your pocket where you could drop it.” — TJ Holmes [16:16]
• Neither Brian nor Lynette had their phones, which is completely atypical for them.

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If he could paddle the boat with an oar, why would he not paddle towards her? Why would he paddle towards shore?” — Amy Robach [13:14]
• “It just doesn’t happen. You’re right. And those things … even if you do drop it, it’s still attached.” — TJ Holmes [16:08]
• “Everything that Brian Hooker's own friend Daniel Danforth had to say just suddenly made sense, because his story hasn’t up until now.” — Amy Robach [16:28]

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5. Update from Brian Hooker’s Attorney

[20:36 – 23:30]

• Brian’s attorney claims Brian almost drowned while being arrested, as police had him disembark from his vessel handcuffed and he fell in the water.
• Brian is described as “heartbroken and deeply distressed,” desperate to continue searching for Lynette.
• Past domestic violence incident in 2015 confirmed: Lynette was arrested after a drunken altercation with visible injuries on Brian.
• Attorney: “He is the only witness … has said he has done nothing wrong. To refer to allegations of abuse … does not explain what happened.”
  • Amy and TJ agree: “But it doesn’t look good … But man, it sure goes a long way in explaining what is right now an unexplainable accident for a woman who is very knowledgeable in how to behave on the water.” — TJ Holmes [23:37]

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6. Legal Hurdles & Ongoing Questions

[23:30 – 24:06]

• Authorities face a challenge: can they charge Brian without Lynette’s body or another witness?
• “That’s tough. That’s a tall, tall, tall mountain to climb.” — Amy Robach [24:06]
• The hosts will keep listeners updated as the Bahamian authorities decide on any formal charges.

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:37] — Case introduction & status
• [05:12] — Daniel Danforth’s text messages from Brian
• [07:03/07:30] — Inconsistencies and suspicious details
• [11:05] — Facebook activity and friend’s suspicion
• [13:14] — Critical questions about Brian’s actions after Lynette’s disappearance
• [15:39] — Boat key and phone inconsistencies
• [20:36] — Brian’s attorney’s statements and background
• [23:30] — Legal hurdles and concluding thoughts

---

Summary

This episode dissects the mysterious disappearance of Lynette Hooker, exposing serious inconsistencies in her husband Brian’s version of events—particularly through text messages released by his own friend. Amy and TJ, leveraging both logical reasoning and experience in reporting, fiercely critique the oddities in Brian’s account, the strange timing of his social media activity, his logistical focus in the aftermath, and boating details that just don’t track. The debate is balanced by updates from Brian’s attorney and legal realities, ending with open questions and a reminder that circumstantial evidence must eventually be weighed by authorities. The hosts promise continuing updates as the investigation develops.

Transcript

[Amy Robach]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[TJ Holmes]

It feels good when the story ends with savings. It feels good to Geico.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Peace to the planet. Charlamagne Tha God here. And listen. We are back. The Black Effect Podcast Festival is back in Atlanta on April 25th at Pullman Yard. Yeah, and the full lineup is nuts. We got the Grits and Age Podcast, Deontay Kyle and Big Ice Cup Cat. We got Club 520 with Jeff Teague and the gang. Don't call me White Girl. Mona will be there. Keep it positive, sweetie. With Crystal Renee. We got Reality with the King with Carlos King. And yes, drink champs will be in the building. Plus, you know we gonna have a lot of guests, so you need to join us. And we got the Black Effect Marketplace, the picture podcast and everything you expect from the Black Effect Podcast Festival. Tickets are on sale right now. Go get [e-mail] podcast festival. Don't play yourself. Okay, pull up.

[Cheryl Strayed]

Then she says, have you seen a

[Amy Robach]

photo of my son? And I'm like, who is this person?

[Boys and Girls Podcast Host]

Welcome to the boys and girls podcast. Arranged marriage is basically a reality show. You're auditioning for your soulmate and who's judging only your entire family. I sacrificed myself to this ancient tradition hoping to find love the right way. And instead I found chaos, comedy and a lot of cringe. Listen to boys and Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

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Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and stories from the frontiers of Marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses industries while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up this season on Math and Magic, CEO of Liquid Death, Mike Cesario.

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[TJ Holmes]

Hey there folks. It is Friday, April 10th and his own friend ain't buying his story with that. Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Rose. We've kept a close eye on this story from the moment we heard that a Michigan woman went overboard in a dinghy with her husband in the Bahamas. He's now been arrested. We heard from the woman's daughter who raised some questions. Now we are hearing from his friend, the accused friend who quite frankly Robes some of the stuff he said is more damning than anything we've heard so far.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, this was fascinating. First of all why his friend would share these text messages he received from Brian Hooker who yes has been under arrest since Wednesday in the disappearance of his wife, 55 year old Lynette Hooker. He has not been charged yet we should point out and police. It's a little interesting what the Bahamian officials said but they said they had 48 hours to either charge him or release him. That would be at some point today. But then they added they can also extend that for another 96 hours if they think it's necessary. So he could be behind bars for a few more days before charges are filed. But these new text messages, woo, they say a lot.

[TJ Holmes]

And right now this case is a case of he said and she can't say anything because she is presumed dead. This is a search and recovery at this point. But this was last seen Saturday. Robes Brian Hooker, 58 and Lynette Hooker, 55. 55. They've been married now how long?

[Amy Robach]

25 years.

[TJ Holmes]

All right, so they go out in a boat. These are avid boat. They know what they're doing on the water. His story is they go out on the water around sundown, she some kind of way falls over into the water. They get separated. He couldn't recover her. She has the key to the boat on her when she goes into the water according to him and then he has to essentially paddle back to shore. Took several hours. That's his story sticking to it Robes. Not long after that the daughter of Lynette started speaking and saying this doesn't make she didn't flat out accused but she at least raised some questions. Okay, that catches us up. He is now in custody. His friend has now done an interview road with CBS News and shared text messages he said he got from Brian Hooker after this whole accident. Now I will let you know, we will read this whole the text messages to you. That's one thing. The interview and the list of things the friend Ticks off as to why his friend's story is bullshit. You have to pay attention.

[Amy Robach]

It is. I actually couldn't even believe I was reading it as I was thinking to myself, this is his friend who's saying this. But, yes, we'll start with the messages that he shared. His name is Daniel Danforth, by the way. And they met 2023, so they've been friends for a couple years. They're all boating advocates and love boating, so that's why they have this shared love. And that's how they all became friends. So he says on Monday, he sees the headlines that Lynette has fallen overboard. So he reaches out to Brian and says, well, there's a little something before that, but we can get to that later. First of all, this is what Brian Hooker responded to him with. Yes, brother, I'm afraid so. Off the dinghy in some choppy seas. On the way back to the sailboat, the wind blew me away from her and she swam towards the sailboat. And we lost sight of each other pretty quickly. As it was just about sundown, I drifted and tried to paddle with one oar for the next seven hours until I washed up behind the shore of the next island over and was able to get some help. Finally, we are all still searching. A lot is going on right now, but I thank you for checking in on us. Being on the news is a huge burden, and I just had my first ever news organization call me a few minutes ago. He went on to say, our family is in hell right now. Search and rescue just called and said they had searched a bunch of areas today and no joy. They are going back out tomorrow, but a storm is coming in Wednesday.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay, so now let's go back up to the first part of that and you tell me Robes. As he's describing to his friend in private, in a text message that he thought would never get public, he's explaining to him what happened. How does that mesh with the story? At least authorities are saying that they were told. Does that match with what he told police about the incident?

[Amy Robach]

No, I don't think so. Because. Because according to police, Brian Hooker told them that she fell into the water and they immediately drifted apart. He didn't say that she was okay when she got in the water and started swimming towards the sailboat. That is a completely new piece of information that if he told that to police, police did not reveal that publicly. So that is a very new and different version of what we've been told.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay. The other thing in there had to do what suggestion did he make in there about weather? Because it was hard for people to understand. She immediately falls out of boat. Can we just reach out and grab her? How did you all all of a sudden get separated? So what's his description in the text at least about weather?

[Amy Robach]

Well, first he said that it was the choppy seas that kind of threw her overboard, which seems a little suspicious. I don't know if we had reports of wild weather where you would actually fall out of an eight foot hard bottomed dinghy, but. Okay. Who's a woman who's very skilled in boating and swimming and she's been doing it her entire life. Then he says, the wind blew me away from her and she swam towards the sailboat.

[TJ Holmes]

Okay, wait, towards the sailboat?

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

A different. The other.

[Amy Robach]

Well, that's their yacht, that. So they were in the dinghy, having just left a place, and they were on their way to the sailboat.

[TJ Holmes]

You know what, Robes, I did not catch this before. Okay, that's different. When you were explaining this, I was reading it. I took it as he was swimming, she was swimming, maybe trying to get back towards him. And the dink, he's saying she fell out this boat that's close by and she tried to go swim to one that's farther away.

[Amy Robach]

Correct.

[Cheryl Strayed]

Huh.

[Amy Robach]

It makes no sense.

[TJ Holmes]

Huh? Okay. I didn't piece that together the first time. Okay.

[Amy Robach]

Yes. So then the friend, this is.

[TJ Holmes]

Oh, wow.

[Amy Robach]

The friend, Daniel Danforth, then asked him if he had anywhere to stay. Was just kind of checking in on him. And Brian wrote this. I got the boat back to Marsh harbor yesterday after the fire department brought me back my dinghy. Notice how he's saying my not hour. I'm on a mooring ball at a place called Conch Inn on the boat. My sister and brother in law are flying in later this morning to stay for a couple of days. I'll probably stay with them for a night or two while weather happens, but then I plan on heading back out to the site and continuing to search. I will most definitely need help in the future, but I just don't know what it is yet. I'm trying to take it one day at a time. Keep the faith. Search and rescue is out today before some big wins to come tomorrow. It's interesting because the friend says, okay, well, I'm gonna be getting a sailboat. We're gonna be moving around, but let us know if we can help you. And then he just says, congratulations on your sailboat captain and thanks for your kind offers. I'll Be in touch as events unfold. It just seemed a little. Some people pointed out. That just seemed a little strange. Like, really, home seems off, but really,

[TJ Holmes]

I don't want to suggest how anybody might feel if you. You just lost the love of your life in an accident in the water.

[Amy Robach]

Congratulations on the new sailboat captain.

[TJ Holmes]

Who am I to say? But it gets better. Now, you listed at least, I think, four. Right. Things that the friend says that actually goes through and says, this, this, this, and this don't make sense. All right, take it from the top. These are all blew my mind.

[Amy Robach]

Okay. Yes. This is why his friend, Mr. Danforth, said he is very suspicious. First of all, he said that he thought of Brian around Sunday. I guess it was on the weekend. So it was after Lynette went missing, but before the headlines really started. So he just noticed that Brian. He got a Facebook notification on his phone that said Brian Hooker liked a comment that his wife shared about boating. So he said, Brian was actually on my mind because, like, oh, Brian's liking a comment my wife put on Facebook on Sunday. And then all of a sudden, the headlines started popping up. And so Danforth told CBS News, you know, my wife's missing. Facebook's the last thing I'm worried about. You're gonna find me on the water, riding around, not on Facebook. So he thought that was first initially very suspicious. Like, that's so weird. He was liking my wife's comment while his wife was missing. We know what the comment was about. Boating. I just. Something random about how she loves boating. Yeah.

[TJ Holmes]

It's odd even to be on Facebook, but that's one thing to go through and have. Okay, yes. That is incredibly odd. Even if you know you're going to be a suspect. It's stupid.

[Amy Robach]

It really is. Then he also questioned why Brian moved his boat immediately after Lynette went missing. He just thought that was a strange thing to do. You're worried about repositioning your boat somewhere? Yes, the larger sailboat. He just thought that was strange.

[TJ Holmes]

Why is that on his mind at all?

[Amy Robach]

Exactly?

[TJ Holmes]

Well, maybe he needed to. Maybe he was renting a slip for a little while and it was running out.

[Amy Robach]

This is an avid boater who just said, that's not something that makes sense. So that's what he was explaining with his experience with boats. He just thought that was a strange thing. Then he also said that the messages he received did not jive with what Brian told police. He said that, yes. Brian told authorities Lynette was swept overboard. But then he wrote to me that she was swimming back to the sailboat. Those two things don't make sense. They aren't the same statement. So he pointed that out. The differences between what Brian texted him and what police said Brian reported.

[TJ Holmes]

Can I ask you to go back up to his statement for a second? The text message. Yeah. Where? How did he describe her swim? How did he say it?

[Amy Robach]

He said, the wind blew me away from her and she swam towards the sailboat. And we lost sight of each other pretty quickly as it was just about sundown.

[TJ Holmes]

Go back for me a second. How does he say in the text message? She ended up in the water?

[Amy Robach]

She fell off the dinghy in some choppy seas.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Amy Robach]

She fell off in choppy seas, swam

[TJ Holmes]

to the other boat.

[Amy Robach]

It makes no sense.

[TJ Holmes]

She fell and instead of getting into the boat, she fell out of. She swam a distance.

[Amy Robach]

How far, who knows? Because he was drifting. The winds were pulling him away from her. Here's the other thing I wanted to point out, because the way it was described to, at least the way it had been reported, was that it was in the middle of the night. It was pitch black. He says it was about sundown. So he could see her. Why would he not? And, well, this is what the friend gets into. He said the biggest question for him, why didn't he try to go and get her? If he could paddle the bo with an oar, why would he not paddle towards her? Why would he paddle towards shore?

[TJ Holmes]

Okay, now I'm not. Damn, that's a good point, too. Even if you don't jump into the water after her, you have the ability to. He had a paddle to actually direct the boat that you're in. Okay, look, I don't. I'm not an avid sea guy.

[Amy Robach]

Okay? And then the other. The other question he had was, where were their phones? He said every time he has spent any moment with them on the water, on the land, wherever they are, they always have their phones with them, both of them, because he said, they're always posting videos online. Their phones are never, ever away from them. How is it that these two people were on a boat and neither of them had a phone? Because obviously he could have called 911, he could have called for help, and they could have immediately rescued her.

[TJ Holmes]

Two people don't have phones. I wonder if they know where her phone is. If it's been recovered, she would have taken her phone.

[Amy Robach]

They haven't found her. And I don't know if she had her phone with. You know, we don't know.

[TJ Holmes]

But he didn't have his.

[Amy Robach]

And he's saying that is incredibly suspicious. Why would he not have his phone? It took him seven hours, according to Brian to paddle back to this island. That where he was able to eventually get help.

[TJ Holmes]

And the reason hours. But the reason he had to paddle. And that didn't make sense either that the friend. This was a big part of Brian's story. Robes he told the authorities, I had to paddle back because I didn't have the key to the boat.

[Amy Robach]

So the friend says that is a. His daughter first of all, or his stepdaughter. Her daughter also said that was strange that she never had the key. And the friend reiterates this and says, okay, the key is usually in the boat with a lanyard on it. Like that is where the key stays. No one has the key. No one wears the key. That's not what you do as a boater or a boating enthusiast. You have the key. The key in the ignition with a lanyard. His thought was he was the only thing I could see happening is that when Lynette was either being pushed off or if there was some sort of an altercation or a fight, that in a desperate attempt to try and stay on the boat or at least to stop him from leaving her, she grabbed the keys as she was going overboard. And when he said that, that made so much sense. We don't know. But it. But to say that she had the keys on her is a weird thing.

[TJ Holmes]

The daughter had said Brian is the one that always drives. He would always have the key. That made sense. First of all. But Robes, you do not have to be a big time avid boater. If you've gone and rented a pontoon boat on Lake Oconee in Georgia, you get that you don't even touch the key.

[Amy Robach]

No.

[TJ Holmes]

When they take it is in the ignition and it is turned and stays in that position.

[Amy Robach]

Correct.

[TJ Holmes]

Nobody takes a key and puts it in your pocket.

[Amy Robach]

No.

[TJ Holmes]

What would happen? You would drop it in the water.

[Amy Robach]

Yes.

[TJ Holmes]

It just doesn't happen. You're right. And those things are also have little attachments that even if you do drop it, it's still attached to something.

[Cheryl Strayed]

Correct.

[TJ Holmes]

Rose? The key part got me. I was like, wow. I did not think about that. Nobody is sitting in a dinghy with the key to the dinghy in your pocket where you could drop it.

[Amy Robach]

Nope.

[TJ Holmes]

Nobody does that.

[Amy Robach]

So he pointed that out. And I just thought everything that Brian Hooker's own friend Daniel Danforth had to say just suddenly made sense because his story hasn't up until now. But do we want to know what's going on with Brian Hooker right now? He is behind bars and his attorney got to meet with him in person for the first time on Thursday. We will tell you what his attorney is telling us about Brian Hooker right now.

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[Amy Robach]

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[Amy Robach]

Welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and tj. We are talking about that mystery in the Caribbean near the Bahamas where we have a missing 55 year old Michigan woman, Lynette Hooker, right now. Her body has yet to be found. Authorities have been searching it now for searching for her body for nearly at least searching for her for nearly a week now. And this is certainly a recovery effort at this point. Her husband was arrested. He is behind bars. He's been there since Wednesday and he has not been formally charged. But his attorney was finally able to to meet him. They had an interesting story his attorney shared about Brian's arrest.

[TJ Holmes]

Didn't make sense either. I mean, was it. And when I said, why even tell that? What was the point? And you said, woe is Brian.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, poor Brian. And so yes, his attorney is telling the story saying his client almost drowned falling in the water as police were taking him into custody.

[TJ Holmes]

Is it almost drowned?

[Amy Robach]

That's what he said. He used those words. In fact, I have his exact quote. He said Brian had a really traumatic experience being transported here to Grand Bahama. He was taken to his vessel for a search and when he went there, he was handcuffed and he was told he could have a change of clothes and he was requested to disembark while handcuffed. When he fell overboard, he had to be rescued by officers. So he's saying he actually needs to get medical attention because he was injured. And he's claiming that he's asking for his client to be looked at because it was so traumatic. He went on to say, Brian appears completely heartbroken and deeply distress. His primary concern and source of intense frustration is his inability to continue to search for his wife of 25 years. The trauma of her disappearance coupled with his current detention as a suspect has left him in an extremely fragile state.

[TJ Holmes]

So we should have something, know something one way or another today because they are running up against that 48 hour deadline to see what happens. Look, just because he is in custody, it does not mean he is going to face a charge. It doesn't. And what evidence do they have? Rome's besides the circumstantial stuff, what evidence do they have besides what might be on that boat? What else do they have?

[Amy Robach]

It's unclear right now, but what I do think is interesting, his attorney addressed. A lot of news outlets are reporting, and this is verifiable, that there was a domestic dispute between Brian Hooker and his wife in 2015. And actually Lynette was the one who was arrested and spent a night in jail. But they said both of the spouses were deeply intoxicated, accusing each other of assault, assault and there was some visible injuries on Brian Hooker. And so that's why Lynette was actually taken into custody. But his lawyer, it was interesting said this. He is the only witness to what transpired and he has said he has done nothing wrong. So to refer to allegations of abuse or a tumultuous relationship does not explain what happened on the day and indicate whether or not some he was somehow culpable for anything that may have happened to her.

[TJ Holmes]

I think that is 100% true. That is okay.

[Amy Robach]

But it doesn't look good.

[TJ Holmes]

And it will be brought up if there were to be a trial. So this is why stuff like this does become relevant. Well, with the nature of their relationship, this leads to all kinds of motives and all kinds of things. But just because they could have had the worst, most abusive relationship ever doesn't mean he pushed her off a boat. And it doesn't prove he pushed off a boat. But man, it sure goes a long way in explaining what is right now an unexplainable accident for a woman who is very knowledgeable in how to behave on the water.

[Amy Robach]

You just said it. And the question will be, can authorities somehow have enough evidence to actually charge him with a crime without Lynette's body, without another witness? That's tough. That's a tall, tall, tall mountain to climb. But we will let you know. We'll keep our eye on the story and let you know what the Bahamian officials say later today when it comes to Brian Hooker's detention there in Grand Bahama. But in the meantime, thank you as always, for listening to us, everyone. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon. This is an I Heart podcast, guaranteed human.