Ann Curry Says She Once Reported Matt Lauer for Sexual Harassment on Behalf of Another Woman
Ann Curry is speaking out with claims that she actually reported Matt Lauer for sexual harassment to NBC management back in 2012.
In a report published by The Washington Post on Thursday, the former Today show co-host says she approached management officials with the accusations after a female staffer confided to her about allegedly being "sexually harassed physically" by Lauer.
“A woman approached me and asked me tearfully if I could help her,” Curry recalls, claiming that she was approached during her last year on the Today show. “She was afraid of losing her job. ...I believed her.”
While the employee requested that her name not be revealed in the article, Curry does name Lauer, who was fired in November 2017 for "inappropriate sexual behavior."
“I told management they had a problem and they needed to keep an eye on him and how he deals with women,” the 61-year-old newswoman states.
Curry also declines to name the NBC staffers she says she approached, and an NBC spokesperson tells the Post that the company has no record of her reporting this alleged incident, nor is there a mention of it in Lauer’s personnel file.
In the same Post piece, Lauer responds to other sexual misconduct allegations that came to light after he lost his job at Today, but does not outright address Curry's claim. This marks the first time in five months that the 60-year-old newsman has spoken out.
"I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over these past several months," says Lauer. "I remained silent in an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of the privacy they have lost. But defending my family now requires me to speak up."
His statement concludes, "I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC. However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false."
After NBC received a "detailed complaint" accusing Lauer of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, the longtime Today show anchor was fired on Nov. 29.
Immediately following his ousting from the NBC morning show, Lauer released a statement of apology. “There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions,” he said. “To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this, I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC."
“Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly,” Lauer continued. "Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching, and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full-time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It’s been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.”
Here's more on what Lauer has been up to since leaving Today:
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