Lonely Billy Bush Desperate To Win Back Wife

Billy Bush is trying to save his crumbling career and marriage after the devastating 2016 scandal that sent his life into shambles.

“Everything was going great,” he told PEOPLE. “I’m at the Today show like, ‘Hey, this is awesome!’ Then, kaboom.”

The “kaboom” was the discovery and release of a 2005 video of Bush laughing away as Donald Trump joked about grabbing women "by the p***y."

“There’s a term for what I did. It’s called bystander abuse,” Bush confessed. “By not doing anything you are endorsing the moment and adding to it.”

Bush, 46, announced in September 2017 that he was separating from Sydney Davis, his wife of 19 years and mother of his three daughters. But he says the video isn’t totally to blame for their parting.

“People assumed it happened because she was mad about the tape, but we had difficulties before I got to the Today show,” Bush revealed. “We got married young and had our first child right away. We are taking a step back to see how we do it.

“Amazing things can happen when there is a little air in the pocket. We both feel like it has to be different. It is my hope that we find our next leg.”

The pair still co-parent civilly and celebrated together as a family last month when their 19-year-old daughter Josie marked three years of sobriety.

Bush says he has learned a lot from his time off, and is optimistic the door to reconciling his marriage, career, and life is opening.