Skip to main content

NBC fires Matt Lauer after complaint about 'inappropriate sexual behavior'

By

NBC fires Matt Lauer after complaint about 'inappropriate sexual behavior'

Matt Lauer was fired from NBC News on Wednesday after an employee filed a complaint about "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace," the network announced.

Savannah Guthrie made the announcement at the top of the "Today" show. Lauer has been the cornerstone of the program, one of the most profitable franchises on television, for two decades.
NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said in a memo to staff that it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer in his career at the network. But he said "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
Lauer was not immediately reachable for comment. An NBC News spokeswoman declined to comment about the details of the allegation against him.
Reporters for The New York Times had been investigating Lauer for several weeks, according to sources who had been contacted by the Times.
Related: Read Andrew Lack's memo to NBC staff
Lauer is the latest high-profile man in media to be brought down by allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. Just last week, CBS News fired one of its own morning anchors, Charlie Rose, after a report in The Washington Post chronicled years of sexual misconduct.
The torrent began when The New York Times and The New Yorker reported on allegations against the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Since then, actors Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K. have been suspended or removed from projects after allegations against them became public. And other prominent journalists, including Mark Halperin of NBC and Michael Oreskes of NPR, have been fired or suspended from their jobs.
Related: CBS News and PBS fire Charlie Rose
The firing of Lauer removes one of the most recognizable personalities on television, and at a time when morning news programs are increasingly important to network news divisions.
Guthrie said she was informed just moments before going on the air.
"This is a sad morning at 'Today' and NBC News," she said. "As I'm sure you can understand, we are devastated. I'm heartbroken for Matt."
Guthrie also said she was heartbroken for the woman who accused Lauer of misconduct, noting "it's long overdue" that women feel comfortable coming forward against abusive men.
Hoda Kotb, on the set with Guthrie, said she has known Lauer for years and "loved him as a friend and a colleague."
"It's hard to reconcile the man who walks in every day" with the person who was identified in the complaint, she said.
Lauer, 59, was named a co-anchor of "Today" in January 1997 after three years as the newsreader.
--CNNMoney's Jill Disis, David Goldman and Chris Isidore contributed to this report.
CNNMoney (New York)

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

State Dept. warned White House about possible increased threats after anti-Muslim tweets

By
State Dept. warned White House about possible increased threats after anti-Muslim tweets STORY HIGHLIGHTS The tweets appeared to depict Muslims engaged in different acts of violence "It didn't manifest in anything actionable, but it was a big concern," one State Department official said Washington (CNN) After President  Donald Trump retweeted anti-Muslims videos on Wednesday , multiple State Department officials said the department communicated to the White House that there was concern that protests could happen at US embassies. Officials feared that the tweets, which appeared to depict Muslims engaged in different acts of violence, would spark a reprise of the violent protests at US embassies in the Middle East which are already on high security alert. Protests erupted in September 2012 following the publication of an anti-Muslim video on the internet. Embassies were on alert throughout the day, although no incidents have been reported thus far
Post a Comment
Read more

Spanish court withdraws arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader

By
Spanish court withdraws arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader (CNN) The Spanish supreme court has withdrawn a European arrest warrant for the ousted president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. Puigdemont fled to Belgium after the failure of his attempt to secure independence for the autonomous Spanish region following a referendum on October 1.The referendum had been ruled illegal. Judge Pablo Llarena also withdrew warrants for the arrest of four other Catalan politicians who fled Spain with Puigdemont: Antoni Comin, Lluis Puig, Meritxell Serret and Clara Ponsati. The decision does not mean that Puigdemont, who faces charges of rebellion, would not be arrested if he returned to Spain. Campaigning began Tuesday in Catalonia for fresh regional elections on December 21. On Monday, a Belgian court said it would rule on December 14 whether to extradite Puigdemont whilst a court in Spain decided to keep the  former Catalan vice-president Oriol Junqueras and three other seni
Post a Comment
Read more

Russia investigation zeroes in on Trump inner circle

By
Russia investigation zeroes in on Trump inner circle STORY HIGHLIGHTS Mueller charged Flynn with one count of lying to the FBI It raises questions about how high up Mueller's investigation will reach Washington (CNN) Michael Flynn's downfall  Friday exacerbated grave legal and political risks that represent the most serious threat to any administration for at least 40 years, and could eventually imperil the Trump presidency itself. The plea deal cut by the fired national security adviser with Special Counsel Robert Mueller undermines much of what the White House has said about the Russia controversy engulfing the presidency. It means there is now no credible way for  President Donald Trump  to claim the Russia investigation is a hoax, made up, fake news or a witch hunt. It raises questions about who higher up the chain of command in Trump's orbit -- possibly even including the President himself -- is in Mueller's sights after he agreed to 
Post a Comment
Read more