Clay Aiken Recounts 'Catastrophic' Fallout From On-Air Incident with Kelly Ripa

Clay Aiken has spoken about the 2006 on-air incident where he covered Kelly Ripa's mouth during an appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly," calling the aftermath the "most catastrophic week" of his life. Aiken, 47, stated in a recent interview that he intended the gesture to be "incredibly innocent" while attempting to co-host the show, but it led to a significant public clash with Ripa.

During the live broadcast, while interviewing "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Emmitt Smith, Aiken placed his hand over Ripa's mouth when he felt he wasn't getting enough opportunity to ask his questions. Ripa reacted with surprise, stating, "That's a no, no! I don't know where that hand has been, honey." Aiken immediately acknowledged he had misstepped, saying, "Oh, I'm in trouble."

Days later, Ripa addressed the incident on the program, expressing that she felt "a lot of hostility" and a "lack of respect" from Aiken's actions. She emphasized the importance of respect in public interactions. Aiken later stated that he had not spoken to Ripa since the incident, despite seeing her at various events, and felt he was the one who bore the lasting impact of the event.

The controversy escalated when Rosie O'Donnell discussed the incident on "The View," referring to Ripa's reaction as potentially "homophobic." At the time, Aiken had not publicly come out as gay, which he did two years later. Ripa called into "The View" to defend herself, stating her concern was primarily about hygiene given Aiken's interactions with the audience during cold and flu season.

Aiken expressed frustration that the incident occurred before he was publicly out, particularly given O'Donnell's comments and Ripa's subsequent call into "The View," which led to a public argument about his sexuality. He described this period as intensely difficult, stating, "I was caving in on myself, it was a lot." Following the blowup, Aiken sent Ripa flowers, and she reportedly apologized for the situation becoming overheated. The Daily Mail reached out to Ripa and O'Donnell for comment.