NBC fires Matt Lauer over 'inappropriate sexual behavior'
Matt Lauer
"Today" show host  Matt Lauer  was fired for what NBC on Wednesday called "inappropriate sexual behavior" with a colleague and was promptly confronted with a published report accusing him of crude and habitual misconduct with other women around the office.
With his easygoing charm   Lauer  has long been a lucrative and highly visible part of NBC News and one of the highest-paid figures in the industry  and  his  downfall shook the network and stunned many of the roughly 4 million viewers who start their day with  him .
 He  is easily one of the biggest names brought down in recent weeks by the wave of sexual misconduct allegations that have swept through Hollywood  the media and politics.
Network news chief Andrew Lack said in a memo to the staff that NBC received a complaint about  Lauer 's behavior on Monday and determined he violated company standards. NBC said the misconduct started when  Lauer  and a network employee were at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued beyond that assignment.
Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against  Lauer  in  his  20 years at NBC  but "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
It was left to  Lauer 's shaken "Today" colleagues  Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb  to break the news to viewers at the top of Wednesday morning's show.
Among other things  Variety reported allegations that  Lauer  once gave a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note about how he wanted to use it on her; that he exposed himself to another female co-worker; that he would question female producers about their sex lives; and that he would talk about which co-hosts he would like to sleep with.
Messages to  Lauer  and  his  agent were not immediately returned  and NBC would not say whether  he  denied or admitted to any wrongdoing.  He  is married with three children.
 Lauer  becomes the second morning host in a week to lose  his  job over sexual misconduct allegations. CBS fired Charlie Rose after several women who worked for  him  complained about  his  behavior.
Lauer's "Where in the world is Matt Lauer?" segments were popular for years  and he regularly played a lead role at the Olympics and other major news events. He had been scheduled to host the network's coverage of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony Wednesday evening.
On Twitter  President Donald Trump said  "Wow   Matt Lauer  was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."
Natalie Morales  a former "Today" show colleague who left the show for "Access Hollywood" last year  said she was in shock about the story. She referred to stories that said she and  Lauer  had an affair  which they both denied.
"Today" show host   [TGT] was fired for what NBC on Wednesday called "inappropriate sexual behavior" with a colleague and was promptly confronted with a published report accusing  [TGT]  of crude and habitual misconduct with other women around the office.
With  [TGT]  easygoing charm    [TGT] has long been a lucrative and highly visible part of NBC News and one of the highest-paid figures in the industry  and   [TGT]   downfall shook the network and stunned many of the roughly 4 million viewers who start their day with   [TGT]  .
  [TGT]   is easily one of the biggest names brought down in recent weeks by the wave of sexual misconduct allegations that have swept through Hollywood  the media and politics.
Network news chief Andrew Lack said in a memo to the staff that NBC received a complaint about  Lauer 's behavior on Monday and determined he violated company standards. NBC said the misconduct started when   [TGT] and a network employee were at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued beyond that assignment.
Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against   [TGT] in   [TGT]   20 years at NBC  but "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
It was left to   [TGT]  's shaken "Today" colleagues  Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb  to break the news to viewers at the top of Wednesday morning's show.
Among other things  Variety reported allegations that   [TGT] once gave a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note about how he wanted to use it on her; that he exposed himself to another female co-worker; that he would question female producers about their sex lives; and that he would talk about which co-hosts he would like to sleep with.
Messages to   [TGT] and  his  agent were not immediately returned  and NBC would not say whether  he  denied or admitted to any wrongdoing.  He  is married with three children.
  [TGT] becomes the second morning host in a week to lose   [TGT]   job over sexual misconduct allegations. CBS fired Charlie Rose after several women who worked for  him  complained about  his  behavior.
 [TGT] 's "Where in the world is  [TGT] ?" segments were popular for years  and  [TGT]  regularly played a lead role at the Olympics and other major news events.  [TGT]  had been scheduled to host the network's coverage of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony Wednesday evening.
On Twitter  President Donald Trump said  "Wow    [TGT] was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."
Natalie Morales  a former "Today" show colleague who left the show for "Access Hollywood" last year  said she was in shock about the story. She referred to stories that said she and   [TGT] had an affair  which they both denied.