Billy Bush isn’t taking too much joy in Matt Lauer getting fired.
“People texted and called me making comments like he got what he deserved,” Bush, 46, told People in an interview released Wednesday. “But there is no joy in the demise of others … no matter who it is.”
“Maybe at one point there was part of me that [felt like] if someone else got [in trouble], I would be like, ‘Now who’s the bad guy?’” Bush said of Lauer’s scandal. “But I took zero pleasure in it. And I’m grateful for that. Let those who transgressed be held accountable. I felt for the women involved and for his wife.”
Still, Bush, who was dismissed from the “Today” show after the infamous 2005 “grab ’em by the p—y” audio of him and Donald Trump leaked, admitted he was disappointed in Lauer for not having his back at the time.
“In one of my resolute moments, I said if I ever speak to him, I’m going to tell him that I was let down,” Bush said. “Many months later, he called me and I addressed it. He assured me that he [fought for me] in private. I accepted it.”
Lauer, 60, was fired in late November for “inappropriate sexual behavior,” which reportedly ranged from sexual harassment to alleged sexual assault. Bush claims that the disgraced former anchor reached out to him for advice.
“He texted me and asked about some of the self-help books I’ve been reading,” Bush said. “I told him, ‘Start here.’”
Bush also revealed that he’s hoping to reconcile with wife Sydney Davis after announcing their separation in September — and that their marital strain had little to do with the notorious recording and its aftermath.
“People assumed it happened because she was mad about the tape, but we had difficulties before I got to the ‘Today’ show,” he said. “We got married young and had our first child right away. We are taking a step back to see how we do it. Amazing things can happen when there is a little air in the pocket. We both feel like it has to be different. It is my hope that we find our next leg.”