Katie Couric's 2021 memoir, Going There was quite a bombshell as it revealed the former anchor's controversial take on Matt Lauer — who was fired from NBC News after an employee accused him of harassment.
Couric was initially supportive of her longtime co-host when the scandal broke out. But in her book, she didn't hold back on expressing her harsh opinions on the Today show pariah.
Now, Lauer is also writing a tell-all to possibly get back at her. Here's what really happened between them.
What Was Katie Couric's Experience Working With Matt Lauer?
In September 2021, New York Post released excerpts from Couric's book where she confessed to have "heard the whispers" about Lauer behind the scenes of the Today show.
She also claimed that the women he "damaged" reached out to her. She alleged that Lauer told her, sometimes women would come into his office "crying," and he feared that if they sat next to him on the couch, he "can't even put [his] arm around them."
She said she tried to "imagine such a scene taking place" and advised Lauer that "he cannot do that — you cannot put your arm around them." Later on, she also discovered that there was a "secret office they called 'the Bunker,'" which only an unnamed "male anchor" had the key to, in case of "one-on-one encounters, and I don't mean interviews," wrote Couric.
At the height of the allegations, the TV personality said that Lauer had already anticipated his downfall. "'This MeToo stuff feels like it's getting kind of out of control,'" he told her, according to the tell-all. "'It feels like a witch hunt.'" She also thought that Lauer was "worried about a lack of due process, people's livelihoods and reputations being destroyed." This caused fans to accuse Couric of turning a blind eye on the accusations.
What's Katie Couric & Matt Lauer's Relationship Like Now?
While promoting her book, Couric told People that it took her a "very long time" to process the disturbing accusations against Lauer. She stopped talking to him since. "It took me a very, very long time to kind of come to terms with it," she shared to the outlet.
"Also, to appreciate the damage that was done to women who were taken advantage by many powerful men." In her book, she described Lauer as "an excellent professional partner, and a good friend, and a predator."
She also noted that although "we're starting to look at, as a culture, certain offenses — and I'm not putting Matt in this category, but where is there room for redemption, personal growth and grace," she believes, "it's not for me to say with Matt." She explained: "It's really not for me to forgive him. This is Matt's story, and it's the story of the people he exploited."
Couric also labeled Lauer's behavior as "grossly inappropriate" and "callous." She added that "that's not the Matt I knew," and that "there's a duality in human beings, and sometimes they don't let you see both sides." As to why she didn't notice anything behind the scenes, she said: "Our offices were next to each other, and so I think when he engaged in this kind of behavior, he was extraordinarily secretive about it."
What We Know About Matt Lauer's 'Revenge' Tell-All
Recently, an insider told Radar Online that Lauer is writing an explosive tell-all to respond to "everyone who threw him under the bus." They told the outlet: "For the past five years, Matt's kept his head down, but now thinks the dust has settled and it's time to get even with everyone who threw him under the bus."
"He's been plotting how he should do this book, and it will be balanced between trying to emphasize all of the good he's done while exacting revenge against others," added the source. "He knows he has little chance of a TV comeback, so he's really got nothing to lose." This comes after he was reported to be having troubles in his relationship with PR professional, Shamin Abas.
"Shamin's PR business is doing really well, and she doesn't have as much time for Matt as she used to," the spy claimed. "When they first started dating, Matt had the edge and thought the universe revolved around him, but now the tables have turned. Shamin's not treating him like the top dog anymore. She's busier than ever — and Matt doesn't like it." The couple hasn't commented on the speculations.
