Billy Bush Suspended from ‘Today’ Following Release of Lewd Comments with Donald Trump

Bill Bush is being suspended. (Photo: AP)

Billy Bush has been suspended from Today, PEOPLE has learned.

In a letter to the Today show staff, show executive Noah Oppenheim confirmed that the the co-anchor had been suspended from the show pending a review into lewd comments he made about women while taping a segment with Donald Trump for Access Hollywood in 2005.

“Let me be clear — there is simply no excuse for Billy’s language and behavior on that tape,” Oppenheim said in an email to Today staff that was obtained by PEOPLE. “NBC has decided to suspend Billy, pending further review of this matter."

A show source previously told PEOPLE that the morning show could have a "mutiny” on its hands from its female staffers if Bush wasn’t disciplined in some way.

“I don’t want to see him again,” the source said. “And I think there are a lot of women who feel the same way … I know this will have to be addressed by the producers and NBC. It has to be, or else they’ll have a mutiny on their hands."

Bush apologized on Friday for his comments, saying "Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed. It’s no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago — I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry."

The tape comes from footage of an interview Bush did with Trump for Access Hollywood in 2005.

A co-host for the program at the time, Bush and the Republican nominee can be heard on their microphones making comments about Arianne Zucker, an actress on Days of Our Lives, who was arriving to show them around set before Trump filmed his cameo role.

"Your girl’s hot as s***, in the purple,” Bush told Trump. “Whoa! Whoa!” Bush also asked Zucker to hug Trump when they met.