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Here’s how people reacted to the news about ‘Today’ host Matt Lauer – Metro US
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Here’s how people reacted to the news about ‘Today’ host Matt Lauer

Kristin Toussaint Posted on
matt lauer, nbc, today, today show, matt lauer fired

On Wednesday morning, NBC announced that Matt Lauer, host of the “Today” show, had been fired after the network received a complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.

Lauer’s fall from his broadcast throne comes in the wake of multiple reports of and firings for sexual harassment and assault, including CBS anchor Charlie Rose, political journalist Mark Halperin, comedian Louis CK and film mogul Harvey Weinstein. 

Lauer had been a figure at NBC for 20 years. While some people reacted to the news of his behavior with surprise, plenty of others alluded that this isn’t out of left field. Here are some reactions from celebrities, fellow journalists and others.

Comedian Kathy Griffin said on Twitter that, “Matt Lauer has been on my list for a while. It’s really too bad more Americans don’t come to my shows. I pretty much recite the list in every show. Haha. I told you, my memory is long, my friends. I’ve been around a long time…”

Megyn Kelly, who joined NBC’s “Today” earlier this year, addressed the news during her hour of the morning show, starting off by saying, “This one does hit close to home.”

Kelly said that she’s known Lauer for a long time as a friend and a supportive arm as she’s joined “Today.” But Kelly is also someone who has talked about sexual harassment in the past and complained to her former employer Fox News about Bill O’Reilly’s inappropriate behavior, and in speaking about Lauer, she quickly focused on his alleged victims.

“I see the anguish on my colleagues’ faces. But when this happens, what we don’t see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward, and it is a terrifying thing to do,” she said. “We don’t see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassment or the intense stress it causes a women dealing with it when she comes to work each day. I am thinking of those women this morning and hoping they are okay. The days to come will not be easy.”

Some people reacted to the news by highlighting moments in Lauer’s past they saw as inappropriate, like New York Times writer Amanda Hess.

“Remember when Matt Lauer grilled Anne Hathaway about a paparazzi’s exploitative upskirt photo of her, said ‘seen a lot of you lately,’” then asked if she’d learned her lesson?” Hess tweeted, linking to a story featuring that clip.

Plenty of people also reacted to Lauer’s firing with former “Today” show host Ann Curry in mind. Lauer reportedly played a hand in getting Curry ousted from the show, and some saw his firing as karma.

Reporter Geraldo Rivera added his two-cents, saying he was sad about the news and calling the media industry “a flirty business.” 

And President Donald Trump weighed in as well, tweeting, “Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for ‘inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.’ But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack’s past!”

That tweet spurred its own responses, with people pointing to allegations in Trump’s own past and his support of embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore.

 

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