LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: George Stephanopoulos has made his career in journalism with hard-hitting interviews under his belt. The ‘Good Morning America’ anchor never shies away from taking tricky topics head-on and recently sat down with the parents of Evan Gershkovich, the journalist who was detained by the Russians on charges of espionage.
The 62-year-old ‘GMA’ star sat with Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman to discuss the status of their son who is currently under detention. George sympathized with the grieving parents as he listened to their pleas and offered comforting words in the interview. Despite all the talks and marches to fasten the release of Evan, things have looked bleak for the journalist.
Who is Evan Gershkovich?
Evan Gershkovich is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, where he covers Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. In March 2023, he was arrested in Russia while on a reporting trip and accused of espionage, making him the first American journalist detained in Russia on such charges since the Cold War. Even though Wall Street Journal has denied all allegations, the publication has never publicly confirmed what story Evan was working on before he was detained.
Gershkovich, the American son of Soviet-born Jewish exiles, grew up in New Jersey. He graduated from Bowdoin College, a liberal-arts school in Maine, in 2014.Before joining WSJ in January 2022, Gershkovich was a reporter for AFP and the Moscow Times. He also worked as a news assistant at the New York Times.
The story has been out there for a while but it was George who sat down for an interview with Evan’s parents for the first time. During the interview, Evan’s mother revealed, “President [Joe] Biden spoke to us and gave us a promise to do whatever it takes. He told us he understands our pain.” George tried to boost the spirits of the parents by asking about Evan’s schedule while in prison. Ella, her mother revealed that Evan has been keeping well, “exercising”, “meditating” and “writing letters” to them. George then drew his attention to the meeting that Ella and Mikhail had with their son in Moscow, bringing a smile on the faces of the parents who revealed that their meeting with Evan was blissful as they joked and laughed. George later complimented Mikhail and Ella for raising a strong and hearty son.
‘Never miss your interviews, George’
George posted about the details of the interview and shared a few glimpses from the interview on his Instagram. Fans and followers were quick to respond to this grave issue and praised George for taking up the charge to spread awareness about Evan’s case. One user wrote, "Never miss your interviews, George. And thank you,” while a second wrote, “Fantastic Interview.” A third prayed for Evan’s return and wrote, “Hopefully he will be home soon along with the other prisoners,” as a fourth stated, “Blessed to have you as a journalist.”
