American morning show veteran Matt Lauer was today fired by NBC Universal after the network received an allegation of sexual misconduct against the presenter, ending his decades-long tenure as co-host of TODAY.
Lauer’s former co-host Savannah Guthrie was joined by presenter Hoda Kotb to break the news, sharing a memo from NBC News chairman Andrew Lack that had been circulated to staff.
NBC “received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace by Matt Lauer,” Guthrie said.
It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company’s standards. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. While it is the first complaint about his behaviour in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.
The memo added that the network’s “highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender.”
A visibly emotional Guthrie, who has presented TODAY alongside Lauer since 2012, said she and Kotb were informed of Lauer’s firing shortly before the show went to air.
“We are devastated and we are still processing all of this,” she said, adding “we will be covering this story as reporters, as journalists.”
Guthrie praised the bravery of her unnamed colleague for coming forward with her story, also contended with the apparent news her “dear, dear colleague” had engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviour.
“How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation they have behaved badly?” Guthrie asked. “And I don’t know the answer to that.”
In a statement obtained by Variety, Ari Wilkenfeld, who said he represented the woman who raised the allegation, said he was “encouraged” by NBC’s prompt action.
Lauer, who joined TODAY as a news anchor in 1994 before transitioning to co-host in 1997, has not yet publicly responded to the allegation.
