Disgraced Billy Bush Boasted About Trump Tape Before It Was Released

Reports say that Billy Bush is already fired from "Today" — with his once-smiling face already removed from the digital billboards outside of the show's NYC studios! It looks like the ugly end to Billy being caught with Donald Trump in a conversation that's rocked the 2016 presidential election. And in the latest bizarre twist, Billy's been busted for being the guy who first got the shocking audio released!

The New York Post's "Page Six" column reported that Billy had actually boasted back in August that he had old audio footage of "Trump being a real dog" from his days hosting "Access Hollywood." Billy bragged about it to both NBC staff and his old co-workers at "Access" — prompting staffers to track down the tape of Billy and Trump meeting "Days of Our Lives" actress Arianne Zucker!

NBC News staffers aren't just furious that Billy has ruined his own reputation just as they were grooming him to replace Matt Lauer. They're also blowing their tops over Billy sitting on a hot story that could've been an NBC scoop — with recent reports suggesting that the network was ready set to edit Billy out of the tapes to protect their rising star!

Sadly, insiders said that Billy could've survived all this if he hadn't already been treated like an outsider among the 'Today' show cast. Billy was in Rio when he first boasted about the damning Donald audio — and he was talking to old friends on the "Access Hollywood" staff because he didn't feel welcomed by his NBC co-workers!

That's how Billy got a big scoop with disgraced swimmer Ryan Lochte, too — as he was out with the "Access Hollywood" crowd and bumped into the Olympian right after his fake robbery. But by the time that Ryan had been caught lying, rival Matt Lauer had insisted on doing the next big interview. Billy's now been burned twice by the "Today" bosses, with insiders saying he's already searching for a high-power media consultant to repair his ragged reputation!