Billy Bush Addresses Donald Trump's 'Access Hollywood' Comments, Social Media Divided

While President Donald Trump may have escaped the storm that was created by the "Access Hollywood Tape" released by the Washington Post before the 2016 Presidential elections, things did not turn out well for NBC Host Billy Bush, who was also caught on the tape, engaging in a lewd conversation with Trump, joking about sexual assault, and as a consequence fired.

The videotape was released by The Washington Post a month before Election Day 2016 in which Trump could be heard bragging about "grabbing women by their p------." While Trump has apologized for his remarks and has since suggested that the footage is not authentic, Bush, in an op-ed for New York Times on Sunday reaffirmed that the remarks made by POTUS were authentic.

"He said it, 'Grab ‘em by the p----.' Of course, he said it," Bush wrote.

After Bush’s article was released, Twitter users had a mixed reaction to the issue.

Some are appreciating Bush for finally speaking up and taking a stand against POTUS.

Others called the op-ed his "15 minutes of fame" and rallied behind the President.

USA Today reported that according to Bush "seven other guys" heard them. He added "every single one of us assumed we were listening to a crass standup act. He was performing. Surely, we thought, none of this was real."

When speaking about the reason he suddenly decided to address the tape, Bush said that Trump’s recent doubts with regards to the authenticity of the tape "hit a raw nerve" in him. In his op-ed, he wrote, "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. This country is currently trying to reconcile itself to years of power abuse and sexual misconduct. Its leader is wantonly poking the bear."

"To these women: I will never know the fear you felt or the frustration of being similarly dismissed and called a liar, but I do know a lot about the anguish of being inexorably linked to Donald Trump. You have my respect and admiration. You are culture warriors at the forefront of necessary change," he wrote.

Bush's wife of 20 years Sydney Davis split with him on Sep. 19. According to an exclusive report by Page Six, Marshall Grossman, Bush’s lawyer, said in a statement, "I can confirm they are now separated, and on a short-term break." However, Bush’s lawyer declined to comment on the nature of the couple’s separation but firmly denied the fact that it was due to infidelity. The Page Six report also stated that the conversation Bush had with Trump in the "Access Hollywood" tape did not sit well with Davis.

The report quoted an unnamed source who said during the time the video was leaked: "She [Davis] was so furious that she refused to speak with him [Bush] for a while — and she’s still furious. They are having marriage problems. He didn’t apologize to her for the embarrassment he caused in his statement."