Now, against a series of questions about the future of “Today,” a troubling portrait has emerged of Lauer. Insiders say that NBC was forced to act quickly after this week’s complaint, given the severity of the accusations and the national dialogue around sexual harassment that has ended the careers of Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. It’s not clear if NBC is paying Lauer through the end of his contract, which expires in 2018. 1 in the ratings, and executives were eager to keep him happy. For most of Lauer’s tenure at “Today,” the morning news show was No. Several women told Variety they complained to executives at the network about Lauer’s behavior, which fell on deaf ears given the lucrative advertising surrounding “Today.” NBC declined to comment. In a statement, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack called this the first complaint about Lauer’s behavior in more than 20 years and acknowledged that it may not be the last: “We were also presented with reason to believe that this may not have been an isolated incident,” Lack said. The employee met with human resources at NBC on Monday night. The cause of his dismissal, according to sources, was a detailed complaint from another current NBC employee about inappropriate sexual conduct from Lauer that started on a trip at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued for several months. On Wednesday, NBC announced that Lauer was fired from “Today.” It was a stunning move for a co-host who was widely considered the crown jewel of the network’s news division, with a $25 million annual salary.
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They have asked for now to remain unnamed, fearing professional repercussions. Variety has talked to three women who identified themselves as victims of sexual harassment by Lauer, and their stories have been corroborated by friends or colleagues that they told at the time. These accounts of Lauer’s behavior at NBC are the result of a two-month investigation by Variety, with dozens of interviews with current and former staffers.