Photo: Getty
They want to keep it quiet.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Sep 24, 2019
When you talk about Donald Trump and the election that led to his presidency, everyone knows what you mean when you talk about the Access Hollywood tape. In the tape in question, Trump and former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush are heard talking about women and touching women with their consent. It's the tape from which the infamous "grab them by the pussy" quote comes. For Trump, it meant winning the race to the highest office in the free world. For Bush, it meant a potential end to his career and did serious damage to his personal life. Who is Billy Bush's wife? Her name is Sydney Davis, and she just filed divorce from Billy after a two year separation period.
1. The End Of The Marriage
Back in 2017, Hollywood host and personality Billy Bush and his wife, Sydney Davis, made the decision to take what their lawyer would call "a short-term break." Optimistic though they were, presumably, when issuing this shared statement, the reality has been different and now, after over 20 years of marriage, Billy and Sydney are going their separate ways. Bush was fired from his job at NBC as an anchor on the Today Show when a tape leaked wherein now-President Trump infamously remarked that he liked to "grab them by the pussy," them referring to women.
2. What Caused It?
Billy Bush, who is the nephew of President George H.W. Bush and the cousin of President George W. Bush, often spoke about his relationship with his wife and how they made it work in Hollywood. "I don’t live the Hollywood after hours life, I choose the family — always have. That said, all along I have taken the necessary boy’s trip skiing or golfing and couple’s getaway to fill the selfish and relationship needs," said Billy in one interview. The couple is being relatively tight-lipped about the reason for their split, with one anonymous source choosing to focus on the positive saying: "They have been together for 20 years. Like all marriages, [there are] ups-and-downs, and it takes work. There is no specific reason... just having been together for a long time and trying to work through a marriage...nothing more, nothing less.”
3. Terms Of The Agreement
Together, Billy and Sydney have three daughters: Josie, 21, Mary 18, and Lillie, who is 14. It was Sydney who finally filed for divorce earlier this summer, requesting in the process that the couple share legal custody of their two underage daughters, though she requested that they live with her for the majority of the time. The details that were eventually settled on aren't up for public consumpation because it was important to both Billy and Sydney that their family have the time and space that it needs to adjust to this massive change without interference from prying public eyes.
4. The Finanical Side
It's not surprising that Billy and Sydney would want the financial specifics of their divorce to stay between them. Billy's actually worth a substantial amount of money, and when you're that kind of rich you want to keep a low profile when you can. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Billy may be worth as much as $12 million dollars. The family shared a house together in Los Angeles and dropped a pretty penny to get it. Taking that into consideration, his worth is probably even higher than originally suspected. Of course, staying in that home for Sydney could be challenging since it's where the family spent most of their time together.
5. Billy And "The Tape"
According to Billy, he was horribly ashamed and embarrassed when the 2005 tape that was recorded of himself and Donald Trump during an untaped segment of an Access Hollywood episode dropped revealing Billy and Trump engaging in some deeply upsetting commentary about women. “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,” Bush told The Hollywood Reporter. Trump on the other hand, did not apologize, and instead said: “This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.” Pro-tip: If the word "apologize" comes before the word "if" it's NOT AN APOLOGY.
6. Sydney's Response To It
Billy has always maintained that his wife was very supportive of him during the period of time that came after the tape was leaked to the public. But a source who spoke to Page Six in the aftermath of the scandal didn't seem to be on the same page: "Billy Bush’s wife, Sydney Davis, was furious about the tape. Not just because of what was said, but because he was stupid enough to put himself in that position. It wasn’t just the...vile talk, it’s because he insisted the woman hug him and Trump. It was creepy. She was so furious that she refused to speak with him 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. And she hasn’t released a statement at all," said the source.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.