‘We’re disturbed to our core’: Here’s how the ‘Today’ show’s Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb reacted to the Matt Lauer rape allegation
The allegation is detailed in "Catch and Kill," a forthcoming book by Ronan Farrow.
Brooke Nevils, the former NBC News employee whose complaint led the “Today” show to fire host Matt Lauer in 2017, alleges Lauer raped her at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in Ronan Farrow’s soon-to-be-released book, “Catch and Kill,” according to a new report by Variety, which obtained a copy of the book.
Shortly after the news broke, “Today” hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb gave their initial thoughts on air.
“This is shocking and appalling, and I honestly don’t even know what to say,” Guthrie said.
“We’re disturbed to our core,” she said later.
.@savannahguthrie and @hodakotb respond to new allegations about Matt Lauer pic.twitter.com/HsngSZd1NA
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 9, 2019
NBC News released a statement, echoing Guthrie’s words.
Statement from NBC News about the Matt Lauer allegations. pic.twitter.com/OcphdoziNW
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 9, 2019
A representative for Lauer did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Update: Later Wednesday morning, Lauer denied the rape allegation, according to Variety.
“In a new book, it is alleged that an extramarital, but consensual, sexual encounter I have previously admitted having, was in fact an assault. It is categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense,” Lauer wrote in a letter provided to Variety by his lawyer.
Watch the “Today” show’s full report on Lauer:
https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1181893809564770305
