A bombshell was dropped on the news media world Wednesday morning when NBC announced that longtime TODAY Show anchorman Matt Lauer had been fired by the network over “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace”.
Lauer’s co-host Savannah Guthrie was on the verge of tears as she delivered the news regarding the allegations:
Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. pic.twitter.com/1A3UAZpvPb
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2017
According to NBC News chairman Andrew Lack in a released memo to staff members, Lauer was fired Monday night after the network received a detailed complaint from a colleague regarding the TODAY Show anchor’s inappropriate sexual behavior of which they didn’t believe was isolated.
Breaking: Matt Laurer terminated from NBC in wake of detailed complaint about “inappropriate sexual behavior.” Here’s the memo from NBC News chairman Andy Lack sent out this morning: pic.twitter.com/fJITa6HDw1
— Emily Steel (@emilysteel) November 29, 2017
Rumors were persistent in the past that Lauer had sexual relationship with female staffers at NBC so I’m not completely surprised to hear the news that NBC decided to cut ties with the face of the TODAY Show for the past 20 years. However what is surprising is the pace at which NBC moved on the complaint which may lead some to believe that something much more serious may be present within the allegations.
Yashar Ali of New York Magazine and Huffington Post tweeted that he along with other reporters had gotten wind of “several” women coming forward regarding sexual misconduct from Lauer but didn’t go public because they were “terrified of Matt”.
I, and other reporters , have been aware of several women who have come forward privately in the past few months …even before Weinstein. They weren’t willing to go public though…they were terrified of Matt. https://t.co/jR3VV1AWGt
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 29, 2017
Ali’s tweet falls in line with the New York Times‘ apparent investigation into the Lauer accusations which has taken place over the past several weeks as well as Variety’s New York bureau chief Ramin Setoodeh tweeting that his outlet had been reporting “about serious sexual harassment allegations against Lauer” for two months.
The 59-year-old Lauer got his start on the TODAY Show back in 1997 after he spent time as a newsreader for the three-years prior. His contract which is believed to pay tens of millions annually ran through 2018.
