Arianne Zucker on Trump tape: 'The words of others cannot effect the value of my self worth'


Arianne Zucker, the Days of Our Lives actress whose appearance was discussed by Donald Trump and Billy Bush in a video leaked Friday, said Sunday she has "grown to learn that the words of others cannot effect the value of my self worth or define the content of my character."
On the tape, Bush, the then-host of Access Hollywood, can be heard calling her "hot as s—t," while imploring Trump to look at her legs. Trump, meanwhile, starts downing Tic Tacs "just in case I start kissing her." Zucker is shown on the tape greeting the pair and taking them to the Days of Our Lives lot, while Bush urges her to give Trump a hug.
On Twitter, Zucker, 42, wrote that she is a "strong, independent, hard working mother, business woman, and partner to a great man," who believes that "how we treat one another, whether behind closed doors, locker rooms, or face to face, should be done with kindness, dignity, and respect." There are "too many people in power who abuse their position and disregard these simple principles and are rewarded for it," she continued, and while "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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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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