Clay Aiken is reliving “the most catastrophic week” of his life.
Back in November 2006, the 47-year-old American Idol alum appeared as a guest host on Live With Regis and Kelly. During the episode, Clay created an awkward moment when he playfully put his hand over Kelly Ripa‘s mouth.
“I don’t know where that hand’s been, honey,” Kelly quipped.
While appearing on Page Six Radio on Thursday (September 17), Clay looked back at the moment, and recalled how Rosie O’Donnell inadvertently outed him when trying to defend him.
“I didn’t realize that Rosie O’Donnell defended you so fiercely,” host Evan Real said, referring to the subsequent segment on The View during which Rosie slammed Kelly‘s comment as “homophobic.” Moments after, Kelly called into the show and vehemently denied Rosie‘s criticism.
“You say defended, I say outed,” Clay clarified.
After Evan apologized for not knowing the full context, Clay admitted, “I died inside a lot that week.”
Clay went on to recall that he was asleep in bed in Los Angeles the morning the debate between Rosie and Kelly went down.
His longtime close friend Jaymes Foster, with whom Clay father a son in 2008, came into the bedroom to inform him of what happened.
“‘You need to wake up because Rosie just outed you on The View,’” he recalled her saying. “I woke up. I was freaked out.”
Deep down, Clay knows that Rosie, who he is still friends with, meant no harm by accidental slip.
“I don’t have any ill feelings against Rosie. She did mean well,” he acknowledged. “Her words were, I think, chosen in the heat of like, ‘Why the hell is this girl on live TV with me right now?’ And so she was caught off guard.”
Later that night, Clay was set to introduce John Mayer‘s performance at the American Music Awards alongside Tori Spelling. He recalled how the “gracious” actress suggested they “do something funny” to diffuse the situation.
While on stage together, Clay was rattling off John‘s accomplishments when Tori put her hand over his mouth.
And I’ll tell you where that hand’s been later,” she quipped.
Clay didn’t publicly come out until years later in 2008 in a cover story with People.
Earlier this year, Clay revealed if he’s talked to Kelly in the 20 years since the controversy.
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