This morning Americans woke up to some unforeseen news about one of the most popular anchors in the country, Matt Lauer.
The veteran morning news anchor has reportedly been fired from his position at NBC. His former co-host Samantha Guthrie made the shocking announcement during Wednesday's Today Show broadcast. Lauer has been an anchor on the show for about two decades.
"This is a sad morning at 'Today' and NBC News," Guthrie said. "As I'm sure you can understand, we are devastated."
Andrew Lack, NBC News Chairman, sent a memo to the staff explaining that a colleague filed a complaint against Lauer, and "while it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
So what has he been accused of?
Lauer has been accused of "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace" by a female staff member.
Lack said that the allegations against Lauer "represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards. As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment."
Guthrie, who appeared to be on the verge of tears while delivering the news of Lauer's dismissal, expressed her sadness over the situation, "I'm heartbroken for Matt. He is my dear, dear colleague."
She also said she was "heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story," noting that "it's long overdue" that women feel safe and comfortable enough to speak out against their abusers.
"How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly?" Guthrie asked.
Co-host Hoda Kotb, who was on set with Guthrie, was visibly shaken and admitted that she had known Lauer for years and "loved him as a friend and colleague."
Matt Lauer termination"On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment."
Posted by Today Show on Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Lauer's terminations comes just weeks after CBS News fired one of its morning anchors, Charlie Rose, who has been accused of years of sexual misconduct.
Lauer has yet to issue a statement addressing the situation.
Are you shocked by these accusations against Lauer?
