Longtime Today host Matt Lauer was fired by NBC News chairman Andrew Lack after multiple women came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct. Within days of confirming that Lauer sexually harassed a female NBC staffer during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 (and after several other similar tales surfaced), Lauer was let go — despite having a year and a half left in his $20-million-a-year contract. Claims of inappropriate behavior even dated back as far as 2006, when Lauer was rumored to have had an affair with fellow anchor Natalie Morales while covering the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
Soon after his speedy dismissal, Lauer released an apologetic statement, though he still denied the accuracy of all the allegations. "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry," he said. "As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. 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." He was then replaced by colleague Hoda Kotb.
