【The Lord of the G-Strings: The Femaleship of the String】

Billy Bush is The Lord of the G-Strings: The Femaleship of the Stringofficially exiting NBC's Today. His departure is effective immediately, according to a memo sent from NBC News senior vice president Noah Oppenheim to staffers on Monday.

"Billy Bush will be leaving the Todayshow’s 9 a.m. hour, effective today. While he was a new member of the Todayteam, he was a valued colleague and longtime member of the broader NBC family.  We wish him success as he goes forward," Oppenheim wrote.

In a statement, Bush said, "I am deeply grateful for the conversations I’ve had with my daughters, and for all of the support from family, friends and colleagues.  I look forward to what lies ahead."

Bush was suspended from Todaylast Sunday after a leaked Access Hollywood tape from 2005 revealed that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (who was the star of NBC's The Apprenticeat the time) was caught on a hot mic making obscene comments about women, including Bush's then-Access Hollywoodco-host Nancy O'Dell.

Bush could be heard on the tape laughing and encouraging Trump at various points. The two were also heard objectifying actress Arianne Zucker, who was on hand to greet them during a set visit to NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives.

On Friday, reports surfaced that Bush and his lawyer, Marshall Grossman, were negotiating a settlement deal for his exit with NBC. A report from the New York Post indicated that the settlement could total as much as $10 million, but Grossman shot down that figure in an interview with THR, saying, "There's no $10 million settlement and that number has not even been discussed."

Bush had been withAccess Hollywoodsince 2001, and moved over to Todayearlier this year as a host on the show's 9 a.m. hour. He got off to a rocky start on the morning show even before the Trump scandal erupted; this summer, Todayco-host Al Roker took Bush to task for failing to hold Ryan Lochte accountable during an interview after the Olympic swimmer lied about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro.

zzv

Expert writer and contributor. Passionate about sharing knowledge and insights on various topics.