Katie Couric Told Billy Bush To 'Think Before You Speak' Before Joining 'Today'

Katie Couric had some solid advice for Billy Bush before he left NBC’s “Access Hollywood” to join the network’s “Today” show. In light of the scandal surrounding the crude comments about women made by Bush and Donald Trump in 2005, her words are oddly prescient.

“Billy, I know you’re a lot of fun. Very spontaneous. But the ‘Today’ show is under the ‘News’ division, so you may want to think before you speak,” Couric says in the video, which was part of a tribute to Bush’s 15 years on “Access Hollywood.” He started as a host of the morning show’s 9 a.m. slot in August.

“Very sage advice,” Bush replies. Later, after thanking his family, his colleagues and NBC executives, he notes, “Everyone who leaves ‘Access Hollywood’ always regrets it. They all want to come back.”

The host is now negotiating his exit from the “Today” show after just three months on the job in the wake of his part in the lewd video recording. In the tape, Bush is heard encouraging Trump’s despicable comments and adding a few of his own.

How much NBC executives knew about Bush’s behavior problems is unknown; a TMZ report published Wednesday claimed that he often made sexist remarks about women in the newsroom and did not face consequences. But Couric’s warning certainly suggests Bush had a reputation for ill-advised words.