In a 2006 video recently unearthed by Us Weekly, Matt Lauer’s former Today cohost Meredith Vieira shared a story about finding a “huge bag of sex toys” in his office closet.
“We had a guest on the show who was a — what was she — a sex therapist, and so when she left . . . she gave each of us a shopping bag of stuff,” Lauer explained on the Meredith Vieira Show in May 2006. Vieira did not recall receiving any such gift — nor did she remember a sex therapist segment.
But it turns out Lauer was telling the truth. Dr. Laura Berman verified the disgraced journalist’s story — and provided insight into his troubled, 19-year marriage with wife Annette in a Friday, December 1, interview with Inside Edition.
“We were in the makeup room and he sort of asked the makeup artist to leave,” Berman claimed. “He asked me about sexual aids and devices. He confided in me about some of the struggles he was having in his married relationship.”
According to Dr. Berman, the 59-year-old didn’t want to be recognized in a sex shop, so she gifted him a collection of toys from her own line.
Lauer was fired by NBC News late Tuesday, November 28, amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct — including an accusation that Lauer gave a colleague a sex toy as a present.
“I’m sort of crestfallen if any of those toys were used to harass any colleagues or any women,” Berman told Inside Edition.
Lauer broke his silence on Thursday.
“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,” Lauer said in a statement to Us Weekly. “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,” he continued. “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.”
