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Kit Hoover took a moment to address Billy Bush‘s recent suspension from the Today show during an Access Hollywood Live segment Monday.
Hoover, 46, got emotional when referencing her former colleague Bush, who has been suspended indefinitely from the NBC talk show following the leak of a tape Friday in which he made lewd and graphic comments about women while filming a segment with Donald Trump for Access Hollywood in 2005.
Hoover’s co-host Natalie Morales opened up the conversation, saying: “Kit, I know this has been a tough time because Billy is a good friend to us.”
“To all of us here. First of all — I mean, I don’t even know where to begin with all of this,” said Hoover. “When the tapes came out on Friday, I was home watching with my 14-year-old daughter and the tapes are inexcusable. But I’m watching this tape and I’m watching this person — those tapes were a decade ago and it was seven minutes of someone’s life, and all I can tell you is what I know and the person that I sat next to for the last six years, and that person for me is a totally different person.”
“He always treated me with kindness, such respect — I mean, Natalie, he treated me like an equal from day one and I think anybody that watched our show at home and saw us together knew how much he rooted for me and [was] really always in my corner,” she continued. “It was just devastating to watch how all this has unfolded, and the Billy that I know and a lot of people would say has the biggest heart of anybody and he is a good person.”
Chris Haston/NBC/Getty
Morales echoed Hoover’s statements.
“I will say that one of the first people to call me and congratulate me when I announced that I was going to be getting this job was Billy,” she said. “He also offered advice [and to help me] with [my] move and [my] transition. And he said: ‘I can’t think of a better person sitting next to you.’ So there you go.”
Bush’s suspension was also briefly addressed on Monday’s Today.
“We want to note one other thing: Pending further review of the matter, NBC News has suspended Billy Bush, who now hosts Today‘s third hour, for his role in the conversation with Donald Trump,” said Savannah Guthrie after a discussion about Trump’s performance during Sunday’s presidential debate.
Later in the show, Al Roker and Tamron Hall also noted Bush’s absence: “As you can see, Billy Bush is not joining us today, as you’re probably aware. Part of that 2005 Access Hollywood taping with Donald Trump that’s been in the news all weekend. NBC, which owns Access Hollywood, has suspended Billy for his role in that conversation pending further review.”
A source told PEOPLE Monday the atmosphere around the Today set this morning felt “surreal” and that there were lots of “gossipy conversations” about Bush flying around. According to the source, the prevailing attitude is that they don’t want him to come back, especially the women.
According to the insider, Bush, 44, “hasn’t really endeared himself to the rest of the cast and crew anyway, so they’re fine with him leaving, if that’s what the decision is.”
“Ever since [Ryan] Lochte, a lot of people have thought that he was a liability anyway,” says the insider. “Tamron doesn’t like him and they have always been uncomfortable around each other. Al doesn’t speak to him, like at all. There is no love lost there. Matt [Lauer] is okay with him, not friends, but okay. He doesn’t have much of a relationship with Savannah. So it won’t be a loss to any of them personally if he doesn’t come back.”
“The network and producers are going to have to decide if he’s such a liability that they have to take stronger action,” added the source. “Does anyone tune in to Today to watch Billy? Probably not really. So if he leaves, it’s not a big deal.”
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“The feeling is, ‘Is he so compromised that he can’t be a neutral journalist? Can people see him as being a professional?’ ” continued the insider. “It really seems like it’s time for him to go. We’re all waiting to see what happens.”
On Friday afternoon, Bush issued an apology for the comments he made in the tape.
“Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” he said. “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.”
