Friday, March 29, 2024

‘Today’ Alums on Matt Lauer: Ann Curry ‘Still Processing’; Natalie Morales Addresses Affair Rumor

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Executive producer/reporter Ann Curry of 'We'll Meet Again' speaks onstage during the PBS portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 30, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.
Executive producer/reporter Ann Curry of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ speaks onstage during the PBS portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 30, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.

*Former “Today” anchors Ann Curry and Natalie Morales have given statements regarding the firing of their former co-host Matt Lauer in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

In an interview with People that had been set up before the Lauer news broke today, Curry declined to go into specifics about Lauer — she said she is “still really processing” the information — but has much praise for the women who come forward in such cases.

“I admire the women who have been willing to speak up both anonymously and on the record,” Curry said. “Those women need to keep their jobs, and all women need to be able to work, to be able to thrive, without fear. This kind of behavior exists across industries, and it is so long overdue for it to stop. This is a moment when we all need to be a beacon of light for those women, for all women, and for ourselves.”

TV personality Natalie Morales accepts her award onstage during the 42nd Annual Gracie Awards, hosted by The Alliance for Women in Media at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on June 6, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.
TV personality Natalie Morales accepts her award onstage during the 42nd Annual Gracie Awards, hosted by The Alliance for Women in Media at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on June 6, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.

Morales, the current co-host of “Access Hollywood,” said today: “I woke up to the news like everyone this morning — just in shock. The ‘Today’ show, of course, has been my family for 16 years now and it is difficult. I think everyone is saying how difficult it is to process the news.”

Morales also alluded to her denial of past reports that claimed she and Lauer had a fling.

“I have personally dealt with rumors in the past for years that were hurtful to me, my family – they diminished my hard work,” she said. “I’ve addressed those rumors head-on in the past. That is not the story today. The story today is the courage of a colleague who did come forward, and when and if she wants to tell her story publicly, I’m sure she will. But it did take a lot of courage for her to come forward. It was no doubt a very painful decision.”

Many viewers blame Lauer for Curry’s sudden and painful exit from “Today” in 2012 amid rumors that she and Lauer didn’t get along. Morales left the show in 2016.

NBC has suggested the network only recently became aware of Lauer’s alleged history of harassment, though a report by Variety today indicates that several women had previously complained to the network.

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