Billy Bush is a name that has always been associated with pussy—after this weekend, even more so.
Days after a tape emerged of Bush engaging in a completely foul conversation with Donald Trump, in which Trump spoke about grabbing women “by the pussy” and Bush gamely egged him on, a spokesperson for NBC’s Today has announced that Bush will not appear on NBC’s morning show on Monday, after previously claiming that he would not be reprimanded.
CNN reports that Bush was just recently moved from Los Angeles to New York to become a host of the flagship show, and some believed he was being groomed to replace Matt Lauer.
On Friday, Bush apologized via a statement for his comments made on the tape, saying, “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.”
In an internal memo obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, senior vice president Noah Oppenheim told the show’s staff that there is “simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape.”
Dear TODAY Family —
I know we’ve all been deeply troubled by the revelations of the past 48 hours.
Let me be clear — there is simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape. NBC has decided to suspend Billy, pending further review of this matter.
If any of you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me directly, anytime day or night.
Best,
Noah
Earlier today, the New York Times reported that the outgoing voicemail message recorded for Bush’s NBC extension said, “You’ve reached Billy Bush’s office, he’s busy making America great again, please leave a message.”