In an in-depth interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Sunday, Billy Bush spoke out for the first time about the "Access Hollywood" tape of Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE bragging about sexually assaulting women while Bush laughed along with Trump's comments.

In the aftermath of the tape’s release, Bush was suspended from NBC News and then fired, getting a multimillion-dollar severance package and agreeing to a nondisclosure agreement that prevents him from talking in detail about his exit.

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He said he’s only heard the three-minute tape in which Trump talks about “grabbing” women by the genitals three times. He told THR that while he and others at NBC had known about it for a while, he watched it once three days before it became public and then twice in preparation for the interview with the magazine.

Each time he was "totally and completely gutted," he told THR. “Looking back upon what was said on that bus, I wish I had changed the topic. [Trump] liked TV and competition. I could've said, 'Can you believe the ratings on whatever?' But I didn't have the strength of character to do it."

He said his then-15-year-old daughter called him from school when the tape leaked and asked him, "Why were you laughing at the things that he was saying on that bus, Dad? They weren't funny."

"It hit really hard, and I stopped for a second, and I said, 'I have no answer for that that's any good. I am really sorry. That was Dad in a bad moment a long time ago. You know me. I am really sorry that you had to hear and see that. I love you,'" Bush continued.