Arianne Zucker discusses Donald Trump and Billy Bush's lewd comments about her for the first time on-air.
Arianne Zucker, one of the women in the center of the 2005 tape in which Donald Trump makes lewd comments about her and Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell, is ready to turn the experience into a positive one.
The 42-year-old Days Of Our Lives actress sat down with NBC News' Janet Shamlian to address Trump's comments for the first time on-air on Thursday, calling the whole experience "surreal."
"They are offensive comments for women, period," Zucker said in the interview, which aired Thursday on Today.
But she says she wasn't actually surprised at the crude remarks.
"Not with that type of personality, I wasn't shocked, which is probably why it doesn't mean a lot to me," Zucker explained.
The actress addressed Billy Bush's role in the tape, who was an Access Hollywood host at the time. Trump and Bush were on their way to the Days Of Our Lives set to meet Zucker, who was waiting to escort Trump before he made a cameo on the popular soap. Bush, 44 -- who has since apologized for the tape -- has been suspended indefinitely since Monday, and it is not yet known if he will return to his position at Today.
"Who knows how [Bush] was feeling when he walked off the bus or what he needed to do in the relationship," Zucker said. "Because when he came off the bus along with Mr. Trump, I had no feeling but professional, that's it."
Zucker, a mother of a 6-year-old daughter, called 70-year-old Trump's "locker room" apology "interesting."
"I want to teach my daughter that if she ever gets put in a situation like mommy is right now, that she will hold her head high," she said. "And if she's learned anything from it, [it's] how can she share this with other women or young girls or whoever is around her, young boys even."
"I think men can learn from this of how not to be in front of women, or when they're speaking about women," she added.
In the 2005 tape released by The Washington Post on Friday, Trump and Bush coarsely discussed Zucker's appearance.
"I've got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her," Trump then said. "You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait."
"And when you're a star, they let you do it," he continued. "You can do anything."
On Sunday, Zucker broke her silence on the now viral exchange between Trump and Bush, tweeting, "I am a strong, independent, hard-working mother, business woman and partner to a great man. I have grown to learn that the words of others cannot effect [sic] the value of my self-worth or define the content of my character. How we treat one another, whether behind closed doors, locker rooms or face-to-face, should be done with kindness, dignity and respect."
"Unfortunately, there are too many people in power who abuse their position and disregard these simple principles and are rewarded for it," she continued. "In understanding the magnitude of this situation, I choose to stand tall with self-respect and use my voice to enrich, inspire and elevate the best of who we are as people."
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