Clay Aiken has reflected on his on-screen altercation with Kelly Ripa, which took place 20 years ago. The 47-year-old addressed the awkward interaction the pair faced while he filled in for host Regis Philbin on a 2006 episode of Live With Regis & Kelly.
During the episode, Cay had placed his hand over Kelly's mouth during an interview in an attempt to stop her talking and allow the guest a chance to answer a question. However, Kelly was left upset and said there "was a lack of respect".
Clay discussed the incident during a new interview on the Hollywood Raw podcast. "No one would remember but me because I was the one with the scars," he said. "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. Like, there were cue cards. They had my name on them. So I tried to be funny, and I did what I did, which was incredibly innocent. And then it got a little cold in the room. I felt bad and I was really worried that I had upset her."
© Chris Haston/NBC via Getty ImageRosie O'Donnell, who was hosting The View at the time, called Kelly's reaction homophobic, which prompted the star to defend herself. "I was not out at the time. I was to Rosie," explained Clay. "I was out to people who I knew, but I wasn't publicly out about it. I was not out to my grandparents and the people in my family. And not only does Rosie call it a homophobic remark – which I think she accidentally said, and then she tried to walk it back a little bit – but then Kelly calls in live to The View that day and they get in an argument over it. Not only did she out me, but they had a big argument about whether I was gay and who talked about me being gay."
© Getty ImagesClay continued: "She apologized for it becoming blown out of proportion and everything. She said, 'Come back on the show anytime, etcetera, etcetera.' But I do know we tried and were not allowed. So I just haven't tried since. It's not a big deal. I mean, I honestly have not spoken about it until right now."
© Getty ImagesKelly has not discussed the incident since the week that it occurred. "There was some impropriety there. There was a lack of respect, and when you're a certain person, you're in the public eye, you have to be respectful of other people," she told Regis during their show. "And I don't think that he was respectful in any way. If that upsets his fans, I'm sorry to hear that, but you don't put your hands over somebody's face and mouth when they're conducting an interview, even if it's for a laugh. And that's all I'm gonna say."
