It's been over a month since former Today host Matt Lauer was fired by NBC after an employee filed a complaint regarding Lauer's "inappropriate sexual behavior" at the office. At that time, it was believed that it may have happened more than once—and his former co-host Katie Couric remained silent. Now, she's finally opening up.
“The whole thing has been very painful for me,” Couric told People. “The accounts I’ve read and heard have been disturbing, distressing, and disorienting and it’s completely unacceptable that any woman at the Today show experienced this kind of treatment.”
Couric emphasized the fact that she was oblivious to Lauer's behavior. “I had no idea this was going on during my tenure or after I left,” she said. “I think I speak for many of my former colleagues when I say this was not the Matt we knew. Matt was a kind and generous colleague who treated me with respect." Lauer has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
During Couric's interview, she referenced a joke she made in 2012, about Lauer pinching her ass on the late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. She explained that she and Lauer had a "brother-sister relationship." Couric co-hosted the Today show with Lauer for 15 years, before moving on to the CBS Evening News as an anchor.
In this video, @katiecouric jokes that Matt Lauer's most annoying habit is that he pinches her "on the ass" a lot pic.twitter.com/Qf65Z41bdx
