Home Scandal and Gossip ‘I’m heart-broken’ Matt Lauer fired by NBC over sexual misconduct allegations

‘I’m heart-broken’ Matt Lauer fired by NBC over sexual misconduct allegations

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Matt Lauer fired
Matt Lauer fired; Pictured veteran Today show host with co host, Savannah Guthrie.

Matt Lauer fired by NBC over sexual misconduct allegations. Questions as the Today show host is the latest media figure fired over workplace misconduct.

Long time ‘Today show’ host Matt Lauer has been fired by his employer NBC News after allegations over his workplace behavior.

The media honcho’s employment contract was terminated come Wednesday morning with NBC News chairman Andy Lack releasing a statement, saying the network had ‘On Monday night, received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.’

Added the statement, ‘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 behavior 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.’

Lauer’s co-host, Savannah Guthrie, announced the news on ‘Today’ on Wednesday morning. Appearing on the verge of tears, Guthrie said, ‘All we can say is we are heartbroken; I’m heartbroken.’

She described Matt Lauer as ‘a dear, dear friend,’ and said she was ‘heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story.’

Guthrie explained that her team had only learned of the allegations against Lauer earlier that morning.

‘How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they’ve behaved badly?’ she added.

It wasn’t immediately clear which employee had made the sexual harassment claim against Lauer, when the alleged incident occurred and the extent of the misconduct.

That said, Page Six reported the figure behind the latest bombshell was that of an NBC staffer working at th Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 who’d come forward, telling the network she had been sexually assaulted by Lauer (it had been initially reported as the Rio 2016 Olympics and later changed).

The staffer, who has not been named and wishes to remain anonymous, complained to NBC News bosses yesterday, prompting the media conglomerate ever sensitive to changing mores to move fast and fire their new Harvey Weinstein boogeyman.

Matt Lauer fired: The latest media figure axed as America reacts to sexual misconduct at place of work.

The news comes a week after CBS News fired ‘CBS This Morning’ co-host Charlie Rose over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Lauer is the latest media figure to be accused of sexual misconduct in a wave of revelations that have been made public since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke last month as political correctness takes center and public uproar over work misconduct at place of employment.

Lauer’s firing comes amid rumors that numerous news outlets were working on stories about the ‘Today’ show anchor’s alleged sexual misconduct.

Lauer’s wife, Annette, filed for divorce in 2006, accusing him of ‘cruel and inhumane’ behavior, but withdrew the filing a month later after they reached a private agreement. The beleaguered couple ostensibly live separate lives, she living full time in the Hamptons with their children, while Lauer resides in the city during the week.

Ironically, the chasm follows innuendo and allegations against a then aspiring Republican, presidential candidate, Donald Trump, whose sexual predatory behavior although a known element had been discounted until making his run for public office. Trump despite a thrashing of women stepping forward managed to sidestep his accusers and win presidential office, to the presumable chagrin of many.

To date, Lauer has made no public comments addressing his firing, that said his end of employment comes after years of ‘insider’ innuendo that his head was on the chopping block, ever since former Today host, Ann Curry was fired, after Lauer allegedly complained the former anchor. At the time, many had blamed Lauer with poor viewer ratings and ‘difficult to work with.’ 

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