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

"Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief"

You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.

And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.

That’s where you come in. Gifts of any size keep the Forward free and accessible to everyone and ensure we have the resources we need to power the Forward at this critical time for American Jews.

Don't just read the Forward - invest in it. That’s only possible thanks to the support of readers like you. Will you support our work today?

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT