After Matt Lauer was fired by NBC News for alleged sexual misconduct in the workplace, Meghan McCain opened up about how she hasn’t been fond of the Today show veteran since his drama with former cohost Ann Curry.
“I will say, the way Matt Lauer treated Ann Curry, that’s when I was done with him,” the 33-year-old said on The View on Wednesday, November 29, soon after news broke of Lauer’s termination. “I’m the biggest fan of Ann Curry, period, and I haven’t liked him since.”
Curry, 61, substituted for Lauer, 59, on Today from 1994 to 1997 before being named a news anchor in 2011. She departed the NBC morning show in 2012 after tearfully announcing her exit on air. It was widely speculated that there was tension between Curry and Lauer and that he played a role in her exit. She officially ended her 25-year gig with NBC News in 2015.
“I love Ann Curry. I think she’s one of the greatest journalists of our time, and I thought [Lauer’s behavior toward her] was so disrespectful,” McCain said on The View. “Again, I don’t know. I never worked there. I just felt like, would you treat a man that way on the way out? She was crying and it was so uncomfortable. I’m still such a big fan of hers, and I would love to see her come back.”
Joy Behar chimed in with a more blunt response: “Karma’s a bitch.”
Today cohosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb announced Lauer’s firing at the top of the show on Wednesday morning. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack sent an email to staffers, in which he wrote that the network received a “detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.”
Later on Wednesday, Variety published a story detailing additional sexual harassment claims made against Lauer by several women. The magazine learned of the alleged misconduct after conducting a two-month investigation. He has yet to publicly address the claims.
