Clay Aiken is opening up about what he calls 'the most catastrophic week of my life' following a 2006 television appearance with Kelly Ripa. The former 'American Idol' star spoke on the 'Hollywood Raw' podcast about guest-hosting 'Live With Regis and Kelly' on Nov. 17, 2006, when he placed his hand over Ripa's mouth during an interview with 'Dancing With the Stars' winners Cheryl Burke and Emmitt Smith. Aiken joked that he wasn't getting a chance to speak, but Ripa reacted sharply, saying, 'Oh, that's a no, no, no. I don't know where that hand's been, honey.'
Behind the Scenes of the Infamous Moment
Aiken explained that he was filling in for Regis Philbin because he was in talks with Buena Vista Television about hosting his own show. 'I'm on the show because I wanted to show them I could handle this myself, I could host something, and I wasn't getting to talk,' he said. 'There were cue cards that had my name on them, so I tried to be funny, so I did what I did, which was incredibly innocent.' He immediately sensed Ripa's displeasure. 'Then it got a little cold in the room,' he recalled. 'I felt bad and I was really worried I had upset her ... and I tried not to think much of it.'
Ripa's Public Criticism and Homophobic Allegations
On the Nov. 20, 2006, episode, Ripa criticized Aiken's actions, telling Philbin, 'He's a Southern boy, so I expected a certain amount of Southern hospitality and manners. [If] you're in the public eye, you have to be respectful of other people. And I don't think that he was respectful in any way.' She added, 'You don't put your hands over someone's face and mouth when they're conducting an interview, even if it's for a laugh.' Former 'View' co-host Rosie O'Donnell then called Ripa's remarks 'homophobic,' prompting Ripa to angrily call into the show to reiterate her stance. 'He's shaking hands with everybody in the audience. I mean, it's cold and flu season,' Ripa said. 'To imply that it's anything homophobic is outrageous, Rosie, and you know better.'
Aiken's Personal Struggle
Aiken revealed that the public feud worsened his personal turmoil, as he had not yet come out as gay. 'I was out to people that I knew, but I wasn't publicly out about it,' he said. 'I was not out to my grandparents and people in my family ... I was caving in on myself, and so it was a lot.' He began to 'take ownership back' by joking about the incident during a joint appearance with Tori Spelling at the 2006 American Music Awards. Later, he sent Ripa flowers, and she called to apologize. Regarding their current relationship, Aiken quipped, 'We've been in a few places at the same time, like show openings and whatnot... I have not gone up and said something myself. But she hasn't, either.' A source close to Ripa told Entertainment Weekly, 'This all happened 20 years ago, so it is rather silly to be a story now.'
