‘Don’t Worry,’ Says Matt Lauer, ‘I’ll Be Back On TV’
Matt Lauer has been “Busy Being a Dad” Image by Getty Images
“Don’t worry,” Matt Lauer told a group of admiring fans. “I’ll be back on TV.”
Um, Matt…that’s not what we were worried about.
The former golden boy of “The Today Show” was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and was fired by NBC last November due to “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” An investigation by Variety found that more than 10 women, many of whom had complained to the network, said that Lauer had sexually harassed them in the workplace.
So yeah, it’s really reassuring that he’s planning to come back to work.
Lauer reportedly dined at the Donohue’s Steak House in Manhattan this week and chatted genially with some admirers during the pricy meal. These fans, reportedly older women, lauded the disgraced ex-tv anchor with warm words and flattery, urging him to make a comeback.
They told Page Six that Lauer glibly said that the reason we haven’t seen much of him is because he’s “been busy being a dad”. Uh, no Matt — you’ve actually been pretty busy dealing with the repercussions of your plummet from grace.
When these fans cooed that they “miss him,” Lauer was quick to respond, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back on TV.” We can’t help, but feel a bit unsettled by this slick disregard for his prior wrongdoings. How can a professional resurgence be on his mind when he faced such major accusations in 2017? Does he really think that the public is willing to let allegations of sexual misconduct evaporate?
We wonder if the public will be willing to wipe his slate clean and allow him to attempt to publicly repent and return to the spotlight. No, we don’t just wonder — we worry.
Tamar Skydell is an intern at The Forward. You can contact her at skydell@forward.com
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.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
