It’s one of those stories that seems relatable until you add fire trucks and rescue crews: on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, ”Good Morning America” anchor George Stephanopoulos found himself the unexpected star of a dramatic morning (and not in the way he’d planned).
We’ve all had mornings where the universe hits “pause” on our plans. But for George, it wasn’t spilled coffee or traffic that made him late to work; it was getting straight-up trapped in a freight elevator. Yep, you read that right… he was stuck in an elevator!
Getty (Nicholas Hunt)When Your Morning Commute Turns Into a Fire Drill
While heading into the new GMA studio inside the Robert A. Iger Building on July 29, George and his security escort, stepped into the elevator… and then promptly stopped stepping anywhere else.
“I was coming into the building with the man who keeps me safe, Richie, and we got into the freight elevator, and got to the second floor — and it just stopped. Just stopped! Between the second and third floor,” he said, per People.
That kicked off a full-on rescue mission from the FDNY, who had to lower a ladder through the ceiling of the elevator to help them out. “Only an hour late,” George exclaimed upon his rescue. He eventually made it upstairs and onto the GMA set, safe and surprisingly unfazed.
Emails, Headlines, and Elevator Bonding
Instead of panicking or frantically pressing buttons (like the rest of us probably would’ve done), George kept it chill. Seriously chill. “I answered a lot of emails, I read The New York Times. It was okay! Rich and I chatted a little bit, and we were safe,” he told his co-anchors, when asked about the incident (People). Just casually turning a mini-crisis into a productive hour… no big deal.
GMA’s official Instagram also showed some behind-the-scenes appreciation for the situation, giving a big shoutout to the FDNY for stepping in to help. And yes, the whole moment was mentioned on-air with plenty of lighthearted laughs from his fellow anchors.
This elevator mishap happened not long after GMA’s big move to the Robert A. Iger Building, a modern new space that’s still getting broken in. So, maybe some kinks are expected; but getting stuck between floors wasn’t exactly on the welcome tour.
Still, George handled it like a total pro. A little late, sure. But calm, safe, and probably now very pro-stairs.
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GMA Host Stuck in an Elevator