NBC News sacks Matt Lauer over sexual harassment

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After anchoring on "Today" every morning two decades, NBC News has fired Matt Lauer over claims of sexual harassment.

The firing comes after a detailed complaint alleging inappropriate sexual behavior that took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Today, Variety released an article featuring interviews with multiple women accusing Lauer of sexual harassment.

Lauer's accused of giving a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note detailing how he wanted to use it on her. 

He also summoned a female employee into his office where he dropped his pants and showed her his penis. When she didn't want to engage in the sexual act with him, Lauer reprimanded her. 

Women also say he would quiz them on who he slept with, and would play the game "f—, marry, or kill" with men and women in the office.

Lauer leaves his gig as the longest-running morning show anchor on network television and the highest paid, raking in an annual salary of $25 million.

Of course the rest of the "Today" crew was distraught over the news. Co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb told viewers that they were "heartbroken" over Lauer's departure, but didn't yet know all of the bad details.

 NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said in a memo to employees:

"Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender."

Kotb said that she's known Lauer as a friend and colleague for 15 years, and added:

"It's hard to reconcile what we are hearing with the man who we know, who walks in this building every single day."

Guthrie said:

"How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly and I don't know the answer to that. But I do know that this reckoning, that so many organizations have been going through, is important, it's long overdue and it must result in workplaces where all women — all people — feel safe and respected."

Of course, President Trump weighed in on the firing on Twitter:

"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."


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