NBC fires Matt Lauer
Network employee alleges ‘inappropriate sexual behaviour’
NBC News fired “Today’’ show host Matt Lauer for what it said Wednesday was “inappropriate sexual behaviour’’ involving a network employee, making him perhaps the most familiar figure in America brought down so far by the misconduct allegations that have swept through Hollywood and the media over the past two months.
Also, former “Prairie Home Companion’’ host Garrison Keillor was fired by Minnesota Public Radio over an allegation of “inappropriate behaviour.’’ It gave no details. Keillor, 75, lost his job as a producer of the syndicated radio show “A Writer’s Almanac.’’
At NBC, news chief Andrew Lack said in a memo to the staff that NBC received a complaint about Lauer’s behaviour on Monday and determined it was a clear violation of company standards. NBC said the misconduct started when Lauer and the employee were stationed at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued beyond that assignment.
While it was the first complaint ever lodged against Lauer, Lack said, “we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.’’
Lauer’s former “Today’’ show colleagues, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, announced the firing on the show shortly after being told themselves. Lauer had been told of his dismissal on Tuesday night.
Lauer becomes the second TV morning host in a week to lose his job over sexual misconduct allegations.
CBS News fired morning host Charlie Rose after several women who worked for him complained about his behaviour.
Messages to Lauer and his agent were not immediately returned and the network did not say whether he denied or admitted to any wrongdoing.
Lauer, 59, has essentially been the king of television morning news since first being paired with Katie Couric on “Today’’ in 1997 and is one of the highestpaid figures in the industry.
For many years, “Today’’ was the unquestioned ratings leader, until it was eclipsed by ABC’s “Good Morning America’’ following the ugly 2012 firing of then co-host Ann Curry. The show had stabilized in recent years with Lauer’s pairing with Guthrie.
He joins a lengthening list of media figures felled by sexual misconduct accusations this year.
Besides Rose, they include Lauer’s NBC News colleague Mark Halperin, Fox News prime-time host Bill O’Reilly and National Public Radio newsroom chief Michael Oreskes. The New York Times suspended White House correspondent Glenn Thrush last week.
Ari Wilkenfeld, the lawyer for Lauer’s accuser, praised NBC for acting “quickly and responsibly’’ in response to the morning host’s “egregious acts of sexual harassment and misconduct.’’
Lack, in his memo, said, “We are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization — and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.’’
There were reports that, before the firing, some media organizations were looking into Lauer’s behaviour. He is married with three children.