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
Matt Lauer is out at the “Today Show” and NBC News over sexual misconduct allegations. The Peacock Network’s news chairman Andy Lack sent a memo Wednesday, Nov. 29 and Lauer’s former co-anchor Savannah Guthrie delivered the news alongside Hoda Kotb this morning.
“For the moment, all we can say is that we are heartbroken,” said Guthrie, who joined Lauer at the “Today” desk in 2012. “I’m heartbroken for Matt, he is my dear, dear friend and my partner … and I’m heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their own stories to tell.”
Kotb added it was a “very tough morning for both of us.” She noted she has known Lauer for 15 years and that she and Guthrie were alerted to the news “kind of predawn.”
“On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer,” Lack’s memo read. “It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company’s standards. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. … we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.”
According to a Variety reporter, NBC News knew the trade publication was working on a story detailing “serious sexual harassment allegations” against the veteran NBC anchor.
NBC was aware that Variety was working on a bombshell story about sexual harassment allegations against Matt Lauer.
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) November 29, 2017
The New York Times had also been working on a similar story, according to a CNN reporter.
Reporters for the @NYTimes had been investigating Matt Lauer for several weeks. Here's my story — updating it every few minutes https://t.co/vZnRELwC2C
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 29, 2017
In addition, an NBC source told Page Six Lauer allegedly sexually assaulted a female network staffer in 2014 during the Sochi Winter Olympics.
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The news has taken Twitter by storm, with trending topic surrounding the bombshell ticking on timelines for the last hour.
Some reacted seriously…
Ann Curry & Katie Couric told us about Matt Lauer directly & obliquely for years so NBC cannot pretend this is new info.
— ❄Mikki Kendall❄ (@Karnythia) November 29, 2017
Was Matt Lauer fired from #TodayShow for “inappropriate sexual behavior” w/o the opportunity to defend himself? So an accuser is now judge, jury, & executioner? Everyone deserves due process. If men are to be slaughtered on sight then I cannot support the #MeToo campaign.
— iimani David (@iimaniDAVID) November 29, 2017
White feminism vs. Black feminism:
Savannah Guthrie: We are heartbroken and devastated by the firing of our dear friend, Matt Lauer, right Hoda?
Hoda Kotb: Bye.#TodayShow #MattLauer
— Real Facade (@realfacade1) November 29, 2017
And others responded with humorous speculation about former NBC News anchors and “Today Show” hosts — and Lauer himself.
Brian Williams be eyeing that NBC today show spot like it’s a snack now pic.twitter.com/OOXp6CxAtM
— ☾ Miss Jagged L Pill (@WeepyWelshWitch) November 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/SPRinNYC/status/935860217702764544
Matt Lauer got the boot for sexual misconduct from the Today Show. Here is actual video of his firing #MSNBC pic.twitter.com/iEE20p8QZb
— Stephen Courson (@StephenCourson) November 29, 2017
An SNL sketch where the reporters report on their own sexual misconduct and firings but they don't know it until live prompter
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) November 29, 2017
