Clay Aiken has spoken out about the controversial moment he put his hand over Kelly Ripa’s mouth more than 20 years after their heated on-air confrontation on Live with Regis & Kelly in 2006.
The “American Idol” alum, 47, joined the daytime show as a co-host and recalled trying to stop Ripa from talking so she could ask questions of the guests.
Asked if they had spoken since then, he said on Wednesday’s episode of the “Hollywood Raw” podcast, “No, there’s been no problem.”
Aiken, who has been active in New York City’s Broadway scene and society, said she had seen Ripa, 55, at several events.
“Maybe I should feel bad that I didn’t stand up and say something myself, but she didn’t either,” he said. “We’re talking about an event that happened 20 years ago that became this massive explosion.”
“That was the most miserable week of my life,” the musician added. “No one will remember but me, because I was the one who got hurt.”
“I’m on the show because I wanted to show that I can handle this problem on my own. I can host something, but I couldn’t speak,” he said.
“There was something like a cue card and it had my name on it. So I tried to make it fun and did what I did, which was incredibly innocent. And then the room got a little cold.”
Aiken admitted that he felt sick after seeing the audience “froze” and was “worried” that he had offended Ripa.
“Is that okay?” Aiken asked Ripa at the time, to which she replied, “Oh, no, no. I don’t know where that hand was, honey.”
The TV personality said on the podcast that he doesn’t remember how he broke up with Ripa, but things escalated the following week when Ripa’s co-host, Regis Philbin, returned.
At the time, Philbin, who died in 2020, and Ripa discussed Aiken’s “hostility.”
“There was a lack of respect. When you’re a certain person and you’re in the public eye, you have to respect other people,” Ripa told her co-hosts.
“And I don’t think he was ever respectful. I’m sorry to hear if I offended any fans, but you shouldn’t put your hands in people’s faces or mouths during interviews, even if it’s for a laugh. That’s all I’m saying.”
And the next day, Rosie O’Donnell addressed the incident on “The View” and called Ripa a “homophobe” even though Aiken had not yet appeared in court.
Ripa appeared on a talk show to defend herself, responding to the actress’ statement, saying, “I have three kids. He shakes everyone’s hand in the audience.”
“I mean, it’s cold and flu season. That’s what I meant. To imply that it’s homophobic is outrageous, Rosie, you know better. You should be more responsible,” the TV personality told O’Donnell.
Recalling the “outburst,” Aiken said, “At that time, I hadn’t come out. I had come out to Rosie…I had come out to people I knew, but I hadn’t come out publicly about this.”
“I hadn’t come out to my grandparents or other people in my family, and Rosie not only called it a homophobic remark, but I think she said it in error, and then tried to retract it a little bit, and then that day, Kelly made a live call to The View and we got into an argument over it.”
He added, “Not only did she kick me out, but we got into a huge argument about whether or not I was gay and who I was.”
The same week, Aiken reflected on how his “amazing publicists” and interns did a “great job” of finding videos of Ripa putting her hand over Philbin’s mouth over the years and sending the clips to the media.
“I think things have turned,” Aiken said, adding that she later sent Ripa flowers, to which she reportedly thanked her and apologized for “expanding” the situation out of proportion.
According to Aiken, Ripa offered him an olive branch and offered to return to the show. However, the Broadway star claimed he “tried” to appear on the show but was unable to return.
A representative for Lipa could not be reached for comment to Page Six.
