Detailed allegations against Matt Lauer have emerged, and they're disgusting
Earlier today, NBC fired Matt Lauer after receiving “a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior” on the part of the longtime Today show anchor. In a statement from the network that Lauer’s ex-colleague Savannah Guthrie read on the air, NBC said this was the first formal complaint it had received about Lauer’s behavior, but that there was “reason to believe” that this was not an isolated incident. Now, Variety has published the results of an extensive investigation into Lauer’s alleged sexual misconduct, and holy shit was that an understatement.
Variety’s report, compiled over the course of two months from dozens of anonymous statements given by Lauer’s former co-workers, reveals a culture of impunity that allowed Lauer to aggressively pursue sexual relationships with female colleagues, openly comment on their appearances, and crudely speculate about their sex lives on set. One source says that Lauer once gave her a sex toy as a gift, along with an explicit note detailing “how he wanted to use it on her,” while another says that one day Lauer called her into his office, dropped his pants to expose his genitals, and then reprimanded her for quickly leaving the room.