Savannah Guthrie got emotional on the October 9 episode of the Today show when discussing a now-public rape allegation against her former cohost Matt Lauer. “We are disturbed to our core,” she explained.
In Ronan Farrow’s new book Catch And Kill, he speaks with Brooke Nevils, the NBC employee whose complaint against Matt led to his firing in 2017. According to Variety, who obtained an early copy of the book, Brooke told Ronan that Matt, 61, raped her during the Sochi Olympics. The interview is the first time her name has been made public.
Savannah, 47, got choked up discussing the revelations on Today. She said to Hoda Kotb, “I feel like we owe it to our viewers to pause for a moment.” It seemed to take her a few seconds to stop herself from crying.
“This is shocking and appalling, and I honestly don’t even know what to say about it,” Savannah continued. “I want to say that 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 come forward with claims. It’s just very painful for all of us at NBC and at the Today show, and it’s very, very difficult.”
1 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Hoda, 55, said that she was remembering when she and Savannah had first gone on-air together two years ago to inform viewers that Matt had been fired.
2 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“It’s like you feel like you’ve known someone for 12 years... and all of a sudden a door opens up and it’s a part of them you didn’t know,” she said. Hoda revealed that they had prayed together before the start of today’s episode.
3 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Hoda explained that the allegations against Matt were not of an affair but “of a crime. That’s shocking to all of us who have sat with Matt for many, many years.”
4 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“Our thoughts are with Brooke. It’s not easy, what she did, to come forward, it’s not easy at all,” Hoda said, adding that they would continue to reflect on “this part of this horrific story.”
5 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I think I speak for all of us: We are disturbed to our core,” Savannah said and promised to keep viewers informed of any updates.
6 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
According to the book, Brooke went to
Meredith Vieira in late 2017 and
told her about what happened. Meredith urged her to go to human resources with a lawyer, which she did. That ultimately triggered Matt’s removal from the company.
7 of 7
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Matt denied the allegation in a lengthy letter to
Variety. He said the accusation is "categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense," and claimed that he and Brooke had an "extramarital affair."
Hoda, 55, said that she was remembering when she and Savannah had first gone on-air together two years ago to inform viewers that Matt had been fired.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“It’s like you feel like you’ve known someone for 12 years... and all of a sudden a door opens up and it’s a part of them you didn’t know,” she said. Hoda revealed that they had prayed together before the start of today’s episode.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Hoda explained that the allegations against Matt were not of an affair but “of a crime. That’s shocking to all of us who have sat with Matt for many, many years.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“Our thoughts are with Brooke. It’s not easy, what she did, to come forward, it’s not easy at all,” Hoda said, adding that they would continue to reflect on “this part of this horrific story.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I think I speak for all of us: We are disturbed to our core,” Savannah said and promised to keep viewers informed of any updates.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
According to the book, Brooke went to
Meredith Vieira in late 2017 and
told her about what happened. Meredith urged her to go to human resources with a lawyer, which she did. That ultimately triggered Matt’s removal from the company.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Matt denied the allegation in a lengthy letter to
Variety. He said the accusation is "categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense," and claimed that he and Brooke had an "extramarital affair."
Photo credit: INSTARImages
