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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
The NCAA is a 'billion-dollar sports behemoth' that 'should not be a nonprofit'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
What's a pocket rescission and can Trump use one?
The Explainer The White House may try to use an obscure and prohibited trick to halt more spending
-
Trump picks conservative BLS critic to lead BLS
speed read He has nominated the Heritage Foundation's E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics
-
Trump takes over DC police, deploys National Guard
Speed Read The president blames the takeover on rising crime, though official figures contradict this concern
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline