UPDATE 8:05 p.m. ET: Us Weekly has confirmed that Billy Bush has been suspended from the Today show. In a note sent to show staffers, Noah Oppenheim, the executive in charge of the NBC morning show, wrote: “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.”
UPDATE 7:50 p.m. ET: CNN’s Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter tweeted Sunday night that Billy Bush has reportedly been suspended from the Today show “pending further review.”
Original story below:
Billy Bush will not appear on the Monday, October 10, episode of the Today show, contrary to reports, an NBC News spokesperson confirms to Us Weekly.
The TV personality, 44, was originally scheduled to resume his spot as a coanchor on the 9 a.m. hour of the NBC talk show Monday morning, multiple news outlets reported early Sunday, October 9. Bush was expected to address the lewd comments he made while chatting with Donald Trump in a 2005 leaked video as they prepped for an Access Hollywood segment.
“The plan is for him to have a chance to apologize,” an NBC source told The Hollywood Reporter in a story posted earlier on Sunday.
As Us Weekly previously reported, Bush came under fire on Friday, October 7, after The Washington Post released a video of him and Trump, 70, making sexist remarks about women.
“Sheesh, your girl’s hot as s‑‑t. In the purple,” the former Access Hollywood cohost said in the video as they got ready to meet Days of Our Lives actress Arianne Zucker. “Yes! The Donald has scored.”
After Trump joked about popping Tic Tacs “in case I start kissing her,” Bush asked Zucker to give the real estate mogul a hug.
After the video, which also featured the Republican presidential candidate bragging about grabbing women “by the p‑‑sy,” leaked online, Bush issued a statement to Us Weekly to apologize for his inappropriate comments.
“Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” he said Friday night. “It’s no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago — I was younger, less mature and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry.”
Bush, who is the nephew of former President George H.W. Bush, was also involved in Ryan Lochte‘s Rio scandal earlier this year after he defended the Olympic medalist’s robbery claims.
