As a co-anchor for "Good Morning America," Robin Roberts is used to having conversations with high-profile people.
However, the intimate round table discussions she had for her new Disney+ series, "Turning the Tables With Robin Roberts," really left their mark.
Roberts said in a new interview with "GMA" that she was struck by the openness and vulnerability all of the women involved with the project.
"It was a no-judgment zone," Roberts said. "We all knew what we were doing was very special, and every time I was taping an episode, [the producers] were saying, 'You guys need to wrap this up!' Nobody was looking at their watch. There were no prepped questions. Each episode has a theme, but it's just where the conversation took us."
The four-episode series, which premieres July 28, features Roberts speaking with Debbie Allen, Sofia Carson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jenna Dewan, Sheila E., Melissa Etheridge, Mickey Guyton, Betsey Johnson, Billie Jean King, Tig Notaro, Raven-Symoné and Josie Totah about their personal lives, careers and philosophies. Although each episode features a number of powerful moments, Roberts shared five that stood out to her.
1. Mickey Guyton gets real about motherhood: At the time of the interview, singer Mickey Guyton, who is paired with actress Jamie Lee Curtis and tennis legend Billie Jean King, was pregnant with her first child and had just made history as the first Black woman to earn a Grammy nomination in a country music category. Guyton's son, Grayson, was born in February. "I don't want to speak for her, but what she said is something I think a lot of women feel perhaps when they're pregnant and are afraid to voice for fear of people [saying], 'Oh, you're a terrible person. How could you be anything but blissful?'" Roberts said. "It was so powerful, and that's the one thing all the women did — they allowed themselves to be vulnerable and saw it as a strength. I really felt, 'Wow, that was brave.'"
2. Sofia Carson sounds off about discipline as self-love: "Descendants" star Sofia Carson, who was interviewed alongside actresses Debbie Allen and Jenna Dewan, likened discipline to self-love — a sentiment that made an especially big impression on Roberts given the recent backlash against gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka for prioritizing their mental health over athletic competition. "If they'd pulled a muscle, everyone would understand, but your psyche? You can injure that as well," she said. "I'm so proud of Naomi and Simone for taking care of themselves, and for Sofia, who has fame and everything that goes along with it, to say, 'Self-love is not selfish,' meant so much."
3. Raven-Symoné opens up about being her authentic self: Roberts, who first interviewed Raven-Symoné when she was a child star on "The Cosby Show," said that the actress told her, musician Sheila E., and comedian Tig Notaro that she'd been pressured for a long time not to come out as gay. "A lot of people said she was a liability [if she was] speaking her truth," Roberts said. Her words resonated with the group, Roberts added. "We gave each other space to just really talk from the heart. We're not here to heal you, we're here to hear you."
4. Josie Totah shares her story of coming out as transgender: Actress Josie Totah's story about coming out as transgender is one that Roberts can't wait for people to hear, especially because even Totah was surprised by how supportive certain people in her life were. "I think it's very important for transgender people and their families to hear how her family embraced her and loved her," Roberts said. "For Josie to just tell us her journey was pretty remarkable." Roberts added that it was especially exciting to have the conversation in a multi-generational group that included singer Melissa Etheridge and fashion designer Betsey Johnson. "On the surface you think, 'What do these women have in common?' and then you realize we actually have more in common than not, and that's universal," Roberts said.
5. Sheila E. discusses the power of speaking out: Roberts said Sheila E. told her story of surviving sexual assault and encourages others who have gone through similar experiences to speak out about them. "She didn't start healing until she did," Roberts explained. "I think you find a safe space to share your story, and once you do that, the healing begins. The person you're speaking to won't heal you, but having the courage to tell your story will."
"We found a safe space with one another," she added. "Others can do the same. Everybody's got something."