In a candid and emotionally charged revelation, Billy Bush recounts a tense exchange with Matt Lauer following the fallout from the infamous Access Hollywood tape scandal. Bush, who co-hosted the Today show for a brief five months in 2016, opens up about feeling abandoned by his peers, including Lauer, after the scandal led to his dismissal from NBC.
The Aftermath of the Tape Release
The controversy erupted in October 2016 when the Washington Post published a 2005 tape featuring Bush and Donald Trump engaging in a vulgar conversation on a bus. The tape, released during Trump’s presidential campaign, captured Trump’s boastful comments about women, saying, “Grab ‘em by the p****. You can do anything.” Bush, at the time, played along, commenting on Arianne Zucker’s attractiveness.
The Conversation That Never Happened
Billy Bush’s heartfelt apology followed immediately, expressing his embarrassment and regret. “It’s no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago,” he noted during the apology. Fast forward to his conversation with Lauer, Bush did not mince words. He recounted, “I laid into him because I said to myself, ‘If I speak to him again I’m gonna lay into him.’ And I did.”
A Desire for Solidarity
Bush felt that Lauer, a top figure at the Today show, could have defended him, possibly altering the course of his media career. “Have them suspend me, have them do whatever, but wiping me out for something that’s 11 years old, you should have stood up and you didn’t,” Bush expressed, clearly hurt by what he perceived as Lauer’s inaction.
The Irony of It All
In a twist of fate, Lauer also faced his downfall in November 2017 when allegations of sexual misconduct arose, leading to his termination from NBC. “I called him a few months later when he got fired,” Bush shared. The conversation marked a shift in their dynamics, a stark reminder of the media world’s relentless nature.
According to Us Weekly, this candid insight into Bush’s experience sheds light on the complexities and internal battles within the world of television media. Both men faced the consequences of their past actions, though Bush continues to reflect on the support he yearned for but never received.