Matt Lauer Fought For His Job As Evidence Piled Up Against Him

Matt Lauer in 2012. Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman January 26, 2018

When reporters from the New York Times were calling the executives of NBC about the “culture” of the Today Show, the executives asked Matt Lauer if there was anything they should know.

“I am racking my brains, but I can’t think of anything,” Lauer responded, according to a report in Page Six.

Less than two weeks later, Lauer was fired for sexual misconduct, including harassment of Today Show staffers and inappropriate relationships with junior staff. Lauer reportedly fought for his job, despite the mounting evidence against him.

“Genuinely, nobody at NBC News had any idea at this stage that he was preying on younger staffers at ‘Today,’” said one source inside NBC. “Nobody knew what Matt was doing with the interns and junior producers. It was appalling.”

The day before his firing Lauer was reportedly “in stitches” during what would be his last “Today” show broadcast. He was formally fired in a visit from NBC Chairman Andy Lack, who was reportedly “furious” with Lauer for his affairs with young staffers. Lauer reportedly had been “unapologetic” in initial meetings with with NBC executives about his conduct, but was more subdued in his final meeting with Lack.

Lauer’s co-stars were finally informed of his firing at 4 a.m. November 29, as they were driving to NBC studios to film that morning’s “Today” broadcast.

Contact Ari Feldman at [email protected] or on Twitter @aefeldman

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO