NEWS'I Almost Jumped': Billy Bush Opens Up About His Darkest Days After 'Today' Show Fallout
Billy Bush reflected on his 2016 downfall after the Donald Trump tape scandal erupted.
July 14 2025, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Billy Bush is candidly discussing his toughest moments following his dismissal from the Today show.
In the latest episode of "Literally! With Rob Lowe," the former Extra host recounted losing his job in 2016 after a conversation with Donald Trump from 2005 resurfaced, revealing its misogynistic undertones.
Billy Bush was fired from 'Today' after the Donald Trump tape scandal erupted.
"I did everything I could think of to keep myself from jumping off the building, 'cause I'm like — Rob, I was about to get a huge paycheck, my first really big paycheck," Bush shared. "I'm at the Today show. They still have money. They're the last thing in linear television with real money on the news side."
Bush highlighted that his brother, tech entrepreneur Jonathan Bush, stood by him during this tumultuous time. "My brother is my best friend, and when his marriage and world fell apart, I was there for him," he explained. "And in this case, he was there for me. And I would never have survived without him."
Billy Bush said losing his ‘Today’ gig was crushing for him.
The TV host also received backing from his pastor and even participated in "walking on rocks with Tony Robbins" — a strategy intended to maintain his positivity amidst the upheaval.
Among others who rallied around him were his friends from Modern Family. "Julie Bowen, love her. We went to boarding school together," Bush mentioned. He also noted the support of Eric Stonestreet and Steve Levitan, the creator of Modern Family.
At SiriusXM Studios in New York City on August 22, 2016, Billy pointed out that he received encouraging messages from stars like Michael Strahan, Cindy Crawford and Suzanne Somers. However, the most passionate correspondence came from Dennis Quaid.
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Many celebrities defended Billy Bush after the Donald Trump tape incident exploded.
"[He] wrote me the most passionate letter," Billy recalled. "He was like, fuming. Dennis Quaid. You can see Dennis — he's got some energy, and he was just like, 'These motherf-------!' But I loved reading it, of course."
Billy acknowledged that the silence from some people was difficult to cope with but expressed understanding regarding their hesitance to reach out. "Many, you forgive because sometimes you don't know — whether someone has cancer or something they're going through — do they wanna hear from me?" he said. "What do I say? I don't even know how to say this. I feel badly."
Billy Bush returned as the host of ‘Extra’ in 2019.
The controversial audio surfaced during the day Billy interviewed then-presidential candidate Trump on Access Hollywood, discussing his cameo on Days of Our Lives. After the Washington Post published the story, both men issued apologies, and Billy lost his position on Today within days.
In 2019, Billy returned to television as the host of Extra, a role he held until stepping down in May.
