The couple, who co-anchor KRIS 6 News Sunrise in Corpus Christi and are married in real life, announced Friday that their positions were eliminated as part of the companywide layoffs that have hit television stations across the country.
“The rumors are true… well, SOME of them,” they wrote in a joint social media statement.
The Hofmanns first addressed speculation that artificial intelligence was replacing on-air talent.
“No, KRIS 6 isn’t replacing its on-air talent with AI or robots,” they wrote. Instead, they confirmed that “like many others across the country, our positions were impacted by the recent company-wide layoffs.”
Their final day on the air will be Aug. 18.
The announcement comes days after E.W. Scripps cut jobs at stations nationwide, including KRIS 6 in Corpus Christi and KXXV in Waco. The company has not publicly disclosed how many employees were laid off at either Texas station. Multiple current and former employees have said newsroom staff, producers and other behind-the-scenes workers were among those affected.
The Hofmanns said they were grateful to the Coastal Bend community for welcoming them into viewers’ homes each morning and noted they weren’t the only family affected.
“Our hearts are with the many talented journalists and behind-the-scenes teammates across our company whose lives were also impacted,” they wrote.
They also encouraged others facing uncertainty after the layoffs, saying losing a job can make people question “your value, your abilities, and what comes next,” but adding that a person’s worth “is not defined by a job title.”
Before confirming the news, Michelle hinted Thursday that an announcement was coming after she and Bryan received a flood of messages from concerned viewers.
“‘ARE YOU OKAY?’ ‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’ ‘HOW CAN WE HELP?’ Those are just some of the messages [Bryan] and I received over the last few days,” she wrote.
The Hofmanns joined KRIS 6 together in September 2022 after working at KTVN in Reno, Nev. Bryan proposed to Michelle during a live newscast in January 2022, and the couple married in Texas in June 2024.
At KRIS 6, Michelle anchored the morning news and reported on community stories, while Bryan served as a morning anchor and investigative reporter. Together, they also launched the station’s weekly Coastal Bend Weekend segment, highlighting events across the region.