More Details On Matt Lauer’s Termination, Plus Apology
Much more detail about all the claims against Matt Lauer has been coming into light, and he’s not denying much in his apology.
By nowproducerdave on December 1, 2017
Matt Lauer was fired from the “Today” show earlier this week, and has since been accused of many different things, and has made his apology for his actions, in which he doesn’t deny much of anything at all.
To quote him directly:
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. 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.
Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It’s been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.
In addition to that, a lot of old footage is coming into light, including this interview from 2016 with Meredith Vieira in which she talks about a bag of “toys” she found in his dressing room one day. His explanation is a little funny but sort of makes sense, but Meredith didn’t seem to buy it:
In another video, Matt says to Meredith between shots as she’s bending over picking something up to “Keep bending over like that. It’s a nice view.” BUT, according to Meredith’s husband, Matt and Meredith had “that sort of relationship,” where they could say things like that to each other as jokes between good friends. He added that Matt, Meredith and he would occasionally get dinner together, and that nothing inappropriate ever happened between Matt and Meredith during her 10 years on-air with him.
Also, another fun fact, now that Matt Lauer is unemployed, 2 of the 3 highest-paid TV anchors are women. Robin Roberts with $18 million, Megyn Kelly with somewhere between $15-$20 million. Sean Hannity is top-paid with about #36 million per year. But Matt is looking for some extra cash now, his lawyers are trying to collect about $30 million for him as an exit-payout. He was earning about $20 million per year, and had about 18 months left on his contract. They’re trying to determine if the claims against him violate a “morals clause” in the contract.
Matt was also seen out in public for the first time following his termination, looking to be running various errands. In a picture captured, he’s hopping out of his Jeep, and looks to still be wearing his wedding ring, indicating things at home are, at least for the moment, still going fine (we’re guessing). Click here for the picture.
No matter the truth or exaggeration in the claims against him, it sounds like he’s owning up to things, but just saying “yes I did those things” doesn’t necessarily fix the situation. Do you think he’s going to find more work, or is he basically done?
