In an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Sunday, Billy Bush apologized for his role in the now-infamous Access Hollywood tape from 2005. On Monday, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O'Dell revealed that her former co-host emailed her an apology three weeks ago about the tape, which featured Bush and President Donald Trump having a conversation that was demeaning towards women.
"Billy reached out to me just about three weeks ago by email. He wrote a really nice apology, which I appreciated very much," O'Dell said on Entertainment Tonight Monday. "He and I worked together for so many years, for a long time, and I only wish him the best moving forward."
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In the THR interview, Bush said that listening to the recording now makes him feel "totally and completely gutted."
"Looking back upon what was said on that bus, I wish I had changed the topic," Bush told THR of the recording in the new interview. "[Trump] liked TV and competition. I could've said, 'Can you believe the ratings on whatever?' But I didn't have the strength of character to do it."
O'Dell worked on Access Hollywood from 1996 to 2009, while Bush joined in 2001. He became an Access Hollywood co-anchor in 2004 before joining the Today show in 2016. Bush parted ways with the Today show in October, after the tape was released.
It's great that Bush apologized to O'Dell, though it would have been nice of him to do so sooner. Still, at least he's expressed remorse for the tape. President Trump apologized for his remarks in an October statement as well, though he also called the tape's leak "a distraction from the important issues we're facing today."
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