Everyone would *really* like Billy Bush to donate his possible payout to charity

#ThanksBilly for all that you haven't done.
 By 
Ariel Bogle
 on 
Everyone would *really* like Billy Bush to donate his possible payout to charity
Will he or won't he? Credit: Getty/@davidcrosss twitter composite

Billy Bush, Donald Trump's sidekick in the now notorious 2005 tape leaked to the Washington Post, is reportedly receiving a healthy payout from NBC, and the internet knows just what to do with it.

The Today Show anchor was suspended by NBC "pending further review" after he appeared in the clip alongside the Republican presidential candidate, talking explicitly about women. Now Page Six is reporting Bush may get a $10 million settlement from the network.

NBC and Bush's attorney Marshall Grossman have been contacted for comment.


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So, what is a Bush cousin to do with all that hypothetical cash? Patrick Monahan and Twitter user @DucanIdunno had a brilliant idea Saturday night: What if he donated the whole whopping amount to women's charities?

In an epic troll during the trolliest of elections, #ThanksBilly began trending on Twitter as everyone rushed to thank the man for doing something he probably hasn't done.

The generous yet fake move gained traction as comedians like Nick Offerman and David Cross commended Bush for his act of giving.

Monahan told Mashable the idea came to him as he was reading the story about Bush's potential $10 million buyout. He started thinking about the backlash that would come from the confirmation of such a large settlement, and what it might take for Bush to undo it.

"I did not expect it to get so big, not at all," Monahan said about the hashtag. "I think it's really strange that people are willing to believe things without any sourcing. And that putting a quote over an image somehow makes it more believable to people."

When asked why the hashtag had proved so appealing, he pointed out there hasn't been any good news relating to either of the presidential candidates in a long time. At this point in a bitterly acrimonious election cycle, people might be in need of some light relief.

"I guess 2016 has broken everyone's brains," he added.

Bush has since apologised for his comments in the video, saying in a statement he was "embarrassed and ashamed."

"It's no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago — I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along," he said.

And in case it wasn't clear -- please, please know this is all a joke.

Mashable Image
Ariel Bogle

Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.

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