Billy Bush says he once tried to out Ricky Martin, then destroyed the footage

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Billy Bush Reflects on Attempt to Out Ricky Martin: “He Was Legitimately Hurt”

Billy Bush has revealed a moment from his early career that he now deeply regrets: an attempt to out Ricky Martin during an interview at the height of the singer’s fame.

Speaking on the Literally! with Rob Lowe podcast, the veteran entertainment reporter recalled what he described as “the most uncomfortable celebrity situation I ever had.” It took place in 1999, when Martin had just released his breakout hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” At the time, Bush was working as an East Coast correspondent for Access Hollywood.

“I got the call to go down and interview Ricky Martin in Miami,” he said. “I know Barbara Walters had asked him about his sexuality. I'm like, 'Wouldn't that be a big news maker?'"

Bush admitted that he took an informal poll in the hotel lobby to see what people wanted to know about the Puerto Rican star. “They wanted to know if he was gay,” he said. Emboldened by the responses, Bush brought the question into the interview room, a decision he would soon regret.

Martin immediately removed his microphone and walked off set. “I'm sitting there going, ‘Oh s---,’” Bush recalled. He was met with angry calls from his producers and, more importantly, a sense of guilt.

“I just feel badly because he was legitimately hurt,” he said. “I'm not in the business of hurting people. I'm in the business of figuring out who I am and where I'm going. And you need to be able to make mistakes in life.”

Bush then returned to speak with Martin privately, without cameras, to apologize. “I said, ‘Ricky, I am so sorry for asking that question. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was inappropriate. I promise you this will never see the light of day. I will smash that tape with a hammer.’”

According to Bush, Martin accepted the apology and shared that he would address his sexuality on his own terms and when he was ready. (Martin publicly came out in 2010.)

The two would cross paths again two years later, and Martin reportedly embraced Bush once again.

“I learned a valuable lesson,” Bush said. “Don’t be an a–hole. Don’t be an idiot.”