"I look forward to what lies ahead," Billy Bush said in a statement. | Getty Billy Bush officially out at 'Today'

NBC News Today show co-host Billy Bush is officially out at the morning program, just over a week after he was embroiled in controversy over a released audiotape that’s upended the presidential race.

"Billy Bush will be leaving the TODAY show’s 9am hour, effective today. While he was a new member of the TODAY team, he was a valued colleague and longtime member of the broader NBC family," Today producer Noah Oppenheim wrote in a memo to staff Monday evening. "We wish him success as he goes forward."


Bush, a former host of the network’s “Access Hollywood” who started co-hosting Today's 9 a.m. hour early this fall, had been suspended from the program since October 10, a few days after The Washington Post published a recording from 2005 that showed him and Donald Trump discussing women in lewd terms. Trump, the Republican nominee for president, has faced major scrutiny since the release of the tape, which showed him bragging about being able to get away with sexual assault.

In the tape, Bush laughed in response to Trump's comments about women. His behavior angered some Today show viewers, and some of them had called on Bush to resign. Today had been conducting a review on Bush's involvement in the tape, NBC News first announced last week.

Bush had reportedly been negotiating a permanent exit from the network, and could be receiving as much as $10 million for his departure. The final terms of the departure were not made public.

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

With Kelsey Sutton

