Ann Curry did her best to take the high road on Wednesday.
Sitting down with CBS This Morning to address a number of topics, Curry was asked early on about her former colleague, Matt Lauer.
Despite sharing a desk for many years, it was an open secret that Curry and Lauer never exactly got along well.
When Curry was fired five-plus years ago by NBC, most insiders believed it was Lauer who forced her out – and most viewers noted that she didn’t really acknowledge her co-anchor during her farewell address on air.
Fast forward to November of 2017… and Lauer getting fired under even more scandalous circumstances.
He’s been accused of sexual harassment and misconduct and even rape.
Some people remain shocked by these charges, truly taken aback that Lauer could even do such things.
But Curry is not one of these people.
“I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations,” the veteran journalist said flat-out this morning.
“Do you believe that Matt Lauer abused his power?” Norah O’Donnell asked.
Replied Curry, afraid of saying too much:
“Now I’m walking down that road and I’m trying not to hurt people. And I know what it’s like to be publicly humiliated.
“I never did anything wrong to be publicly humiliated and I don’t want to cause that kind of pain to somebody else.”
Fair enough, of course.
Like we said above, she really did try to take the high road.
But…
“I can say that – because you are asking me a very direct question – I can say that I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed,” Curry continued.
“I would be surprised if someone said that they didn’t see that. So, it was verbal sexual harassment.”
Matt Lauer and Ann Curry dressed as Prince William and Kate Middleton for Halloween in 2011.
Lauer was let go bt NBC in late November after a colleague accused him of sexual misconduct in the workplace.
At the time, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack sent an email to employees just moments before Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb broke the news on the air.
(Kotb has since replaced Lauer as Guthrie’s permanent co-host.)
Since the initial accusation, multiple reports have been published that alleged Lauer sent underlings sex toys, asked them to perform sex acts and even forced himself on a woman in his office on at least one occasion.
A day after his ousting, Lauer issued the following apology:
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.
Lauer has said very little since then.
Sources say he’s just hanging out around his home in the Hamptons and spending time with his kids.
We can’t imagine he’s ever hired in the television industry again.
And if this is the case, we’d just like to say one thing:
GOOD RIDDANCE!
