When Katie Couric spoke out about former Today show host Matt Lauer's alleged inappropriate sexual behavior toward his colleagues, she said she had "no idea" what was going on during her time there. But another NBC alum, Ann Curry, who co-anchored with Lauer from 2011-2012, is saying the exact opposite.
"You know, I'm trying to do no harm in these conversations I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations," said Curry in her first television interview since the news, on CBS This Morning on Wednesday.
Curry went on to talk about NBC's work environment that wasn't too great for its employees. "I can say that I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed," she said. "I think it'd be surprising if someone said that they didn't see that." Curry went on to agree that "verbal and sexual harassment was pervasive."
Lauer has since been fired from the Today show, following many others like Harvey Weinstein and Russell Simmons, who were booted from their positions of power after being accused of sexual misconduct and worse.
Curry said it's about time for these movements against sexual assault and misconduct to take center stage. "We clearly are waking up to a reality, an injustice that has been occurring for some time. And I think it will continue to occur until the glass ceiling is finally broken," she said. "I'm not talking about people being attracted to other people. I'm talking about people in the workplace who are powerful, who are abusing that power and women and men are suffering."
Curry is set to return to television with a PBS series, We'll Meet Again, which will focus on reuniting people who were torn apart by tragic events such as 9/11 or the Vietnam War. It's scheduled to air on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
