Billy Bush has said he’s very sorry over remarks he made in a video that surfaced late last week.
Within hours of footage going viral that depicted him and Donald Trump making lewd, inappropriate comments about women, the Today Show co-host issued an apology.
Considering the gross way he egged on Trump when it came to sexual advances and sexual assault, it was really all Bush could say at the time.
“Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” Bush said in the Mea Culpa.
“It’s no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago – I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry.”
According to a new report, however, Bush may soon be really, truly, very sorry… on a professional level.
The anchor of the third hour of Today has been suspended by producers (Carson Daly will take over this week, starting on Tuesday morning) and insiders say Bush may never return to the program again.
Apparently he isn’t very well-liked or respected by colleagues, which comes as little surprise.
In the infamous video, Bush spots Days of Our Lives actress Arianne Zucker and remarks to Trump, who is scheduled to film a cameo opposite the start:
“Sheesh, your girl’s hot as sh-t. In the purple.”
Like a loser frat boy, he then added:
“Yes! The Donald has scored.”
How did Bush react behind the scenes when these words went viral, thanks to The Washington Post releasing a video of him and Trump talking, unaware that their microphones were on?
“Billy was devastated and crying when the leaked tape of him with Donald Trump in 2005 was first leaked to The Washington Post,” a source tells Us Weekly of the Today cohost’s delicate emotional state.
“He was crying that his career was over.”
It may very well be over.
Yes, this incident took place 11 years ago.
But The New York Post reports that “Billy was bragging about the tape to other NBC staff while in Rio” over the summer, adding:
“If he knew about the tape, and remembered the full extent of such an explosive conversation with a presidential candidate and didn’t disclose that to NBC News, that is a very, very serious problem.”
The newspaper says there’s a “morality clause” in Bush’s contract, meaning he could very easily (and legally) be fired.
Not long after the video made its way online, Bush deleted his Twitter account and issued the apology we posted above.
But it isn’t enough for many people.
A petition is going around that calls for Bush to be fired.
And, really, how can he not be?
Does anyone tune in to the third hour of Today to see Billy Bush? Would ratings suffer if he were replaced by Daly on a permanent basis? Or Mario Lopez?
Or anyone who doesn’t think it’s hilarious when a billionaire talks about grabbing the pussy of women at his whim because he’s a “star” who can “do anything?”
Said Savannah Guthrie to open yesterday’s Today broadcast:
“We want to note one other thing. Pending further review of the matter, NBC News has suspended Billy Bush as the host of Today’s third hour for his role in that conversation with Donald Trump.”
If viewers are so down on Bush… and if Matt Lauer, Tamron Hall and Al Roker really dislike him as much as some reports claim they do… then the father of three may be crying many more tears over the following few days.
We think he’ll be out of a job.