*Nancy O’Dell was minding her business last Friday when all of a sudden she was pulled into the 2016 political race, thanks to GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
On Monday, the “Entertainment Tonight” co-host used her show to speak for the first time about Trump’s lewd comments about her, released Friday by the Washington Post.
“I feel it’s very important that I address you all directly. As a journalist for 26 years now, it is my job to bring you news about others, rather than turning the focus on myself,” O’Dell said on-air. “But by now, I’m sure that most of you have heard the audio tape which became national news and part of the presidential race. My name was mentioned and unfortunately, the release of it has thrown me into the middle of the political arena of which I didn’t ask to be a part.”
She continued, “I released a statement on Saturday and I truly mean what I said. There is no room for objectification of women, or anyone for that matter, not even in the ‘locker room.’ The conversation has got to change because everybody deserves respect, no matter the gender or setting. As a mom, I have to add that our kids — especially our young girls — need to know that their hard work, their achievements, their intelligence, their heart are most important. And those things will not go unnoticed.”
O’Dell also thanked viewers for their well wishes, noting that she’d received messages of support from “around the world” that renewed her “faith that we all want a better and more inclusive society.”
Co-anchor Kevin Frazier added, “You have handled this situation with class and dignity in the past and now.”
Watch O’Dell’s address below:
Trump was heard on a hot mic telling former “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush about trying unsuccessfully to have sex with O’Dell, who was then Bush’s co-host. In the leaked audio, he is heard saying, “I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it.” He adds, “I did try and f**k her. She was married.”
O’Dell previously addressed the tapes in a statement posted to “Entertainment Tonight’s” website Saturday.
“Politics aside, I’m saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all. When I heard the comments yesterday, it was disappointing to hear such objectification of women,” the statement read. “The conversation needs to change because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments, whether or not cameras are rolling. Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender. As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that as a society we will always strive to be better.”
Bush, who joined NBC’s Today show after leaving “Access Hollywood” earlier this year, was suspended from Today for his involvement.
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