Billy Bush has pushed back at President Donald Trump's reported statements suggesting the voice on the infamous "grab 'em by the p****" "Access Hollywood" tape is not his, writing Mr Trump did indeed make the comment in Bush and seven other men's presence.
"Of course he said it. And we laughed along, without a single doubt that this was hypothetical hot air from America's highest-rated bloviator," Bush wrote in a New York Times op-ed.
"Along with Donald Trump and me, there were seven other guys present on the bus at the time, and every single one of us assumed we were listening to a crass standup act."
Bush recounted several of the sexual harassment allegations against Mr Trump, including those of Jill Harth and Kristin Anderson, stating that he believes the women.
"President Trump is currently indulging in some revisionist history, reportedly telling allies, including at least one United States senator, that the voice on the tape is not his. This has hit a raw nerve in me," he explained.
"I can only imagine how it has reopened the wounds of the women who came forward with their stories about him, and did not receive enough attention."
Bush continued, expressing remorse for his part in stroking "the ego of the big cash cow along the way to higher earnings," referring to Mr Trump's tenure on "The Apprentice," which at the time made him NBC's "biggest star".
He also affirmed his solidarity with the women reporting stories of sexual harassment from Mr Trump, acknowledging the difficulty of "being summarily dismissed and called a liar... You have my respect and admiration. You are culture warriors at the forefront of necessary change".
He finished on a personal note, stating after being fired from "Today", the "last year has been an odyssey, the likes of which I hope to never face again: anger, anxiety, betrayal, humiliation, many selfish but, I hope, understandable emotions".
