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Matt Lauer, longtime host of NBC’s venerable Today show, has been fired from his prestigious position by NBC News Chairman Andy Lack for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” Lauer’s Today co-host, Savannah Guthrie, made the announcement at the top of this morning’s episode.
The complete statement reads:
“Dear colleagues, on Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. 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. Our 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. 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 matter as we can.”
An emotional Savannah Guthrie —grasping colleague Hoda Kotb’s hand for strength— informed viewers that she received the news “just moments” before the show went on the air. She described today as “a sad day.”
Co-host Hoda Kotb 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 mentioned in the complaint, she said.
