How Matt Lauer was dismissed from 'Today' after Brooke Nevils accused him of sexual misconduct
Matt Lauer hosted the Today show for more than two decades before he was fired following allegations of sexual misconduct. “There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions,” Lauer told Us Weekly in a 2017 statement.
“To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind another at home and at NBC.” He continued, 'Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.”Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb revealed during a November 2017 broadcast that Matt Lauer had been fired after coworker Brooke Nevils accused the TV journalist of sexual misconduct. “I feel like we owe it to our viewers to pause for a moment. You know, this is shocking and appalling and I honestly don’t even know what to say about it,” Guthrie said during the live broadcast. “I know it wasn’t easy for our colleague Brooke to come forward then, it’s not easy now, and we support her and any women who have come forward with claims. It’s just very painful for all of us at NBC and at the Today show. It’s very, very, very difficult.”Matt Lauer was fired in fall 2017 after being accused of sexual misconduct in the workplace. His NBC colleague Brooke Nevils claimed that she had nonconsensual sex with Lauer while they traveled to Russia to cover the 2014 Winter Olympics. He denied the allegations. 'It began when she came to my hotel room very late one night in Sochi, Russia. We engaged in a variety of sexual acts,” he said in a letter obtained by Us in 2017. “We performed oral sex on each other, we had vaginal sex and we had anal sex. Each act was mutual and completely consensual.” In addition to Nevils’ allegations, Variety conducted a two-month investigation into Lauer’s behavior and reported that Lauer gave another coworker a sex toy and exposed himself to a third. He similarly denounced the claims.Matt Lauer was married to Annette Roque when he was fired from Today. “In response to your inquiry, our client has asked us to tell you that now that the parties are officially divorced, her priority and only concern is for their wonderful children,” Roque’s lawyer told People in October 2019. “Our client will make no further statements.” Roque filed for divorce in July 2019, and the proceedings were finalized in September 2019. Lauer and Roque share three children: Jack, Romy and Thijs.“We get together every now and then. The kids are doing much better, which means a lot,” Gumbel told Us exclusively in December 2019.Brooke Nevils took a leave of absence from her role as a producer at NBC, which eventually became permanent. She later detailed her account of the incident in her 2026 memoir, Unspeakable Things. “The day after I made my complaint, Matt was questioned by NBC and fired by NBC News chairman Andrew Lack later that night,” she wrote, per an excerpt published by New York Magazine’s The Cut in January 2026. “The next day, an investigative reporter was texting my personal cell phone. Eventually a tabloid began calling my coworkers at 30 Rock, apparently asking whether they were aware that I was Matt’s ‘mistress who’d gotten him fired.’ After that, I made it a few more months before taking a leave of absence that would ultimately prove permanent.”“I was compulsive, paranoid and drinking all the time. I felt I’d ruined everything, hurt and embarrassed everyone I loved,” she wrote. “Soon I would find myself in a psych ward, believing myself so worthless and damaged that the world would be better off without me.” If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE . If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Crypto Today: Why Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP trade under pressure on Tuesday?Bitcoin (BTC) is pressing down toward $88,000 support at the time of writing on Tuesday. The King of crypto remains trapped between the $88,000 and $90,000 levels, unable to break out despite recording minimal inflows into Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), signaling tepid institutional appetite.
Read more »
Horoscope for today, Jan. 28, 2026: Cherish today’s temporary, fleeting momentsThe triple trines to Aquarius luminaries keep the happiness moving
Read more »
Why today’s FOMC decision could act as a catalyst for Bitcoin?Bitcoin (BTC) price is inching closer to the key $90,000 psychological level on Wednesday after rebounding 3% so far this week. The institutional demand for BTC signals cautious positioning as spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) recorded mild outflow on Tuesday.
Read more »
What I Learned After Reporting Matt LauerIn 2017, at the height of the Me Too movement, I accused the ‘Today’ show’s longest-serving anchor of sexual misconduct, writes Brooke Nevils: “I was nobody’s ideal victim.”
Read more »
Matt Lauer Accuser Says She Landed 'In a Psych Ward' After Leaving NBC in BookFormer NBC staffer Brooke Nevils, who accused Matt Lauer of sexual misconduct, is sharing new details in her book 'Unspeakable Things'
Read more »
Why the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's musical bridge between generations still matters todayThe Long Beach-born Nitty Gritty Dirt Band celebrated 60 years with 'Night After Night,' released in October, marking a defining era of California rock.
Read more »