“Today” show co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb addressed a new report on Wednesday that details rape allegations against former “Today” anchor Matt Lauer, USA Today reports. Variety reported Tuesday that Ronan Farrow’s new book “Catch and Kill” reveals new information about what led to Lauer’s firing in 2017, including allegations from Brooke Nevils, a former NBC News employee charges that he raped her at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Guthrie said Wednesday, “This is shocking and appalling. I honestly don’t even know what to say about it. I want to say I know it wasn’t easy for our colleague Brooke to come forward then, it’s not easy now and we support her and any women who have come forward with claims. And it’s just very painful for all of us at NBC.”
Guthrie announced on the Nov. 29, 2017 “Today” show that Lauer, an NBC morning anchor since 1997, had been fired over sexual harassment allegations. On Wednesday, co-host Hoda Kotb, who has since permanently replaced Lauer, noticed striking similarities between their latest broadcast and the one they faced nearly two years ago. Kotb said, “We don’t know all the facts on all of this, but there … are allegations of a crime. I think that’s shocking to all of us here who have sat with Matt for many, many years.” NBC News said Wednesday that Lauer’s “conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible … That’s why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint.”