Former Today Show co-host Ann Curry dropped the bombshell Wednesday with the admission that there was a “climate” of sexual harassment during her years at NBC News. She agreed that this climate of sexual harassment was “pervasive,” and ended her answer with a definitive “Yes. Period.”
Curry also volunteered that she “is not surprised by the allegations” against her former co-host Matt Lauer, who was fired in November over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. The pertinent portions of the transcript are below.
As of now, a total of NINE employees at NBC who stand accused of some sort of misconduct. Along with Lauer, there is Hardball host Chris Matthews (still employed) , Mark Halperin (fired), sports anchor Mike Tirico (new hire, despite the allegations), Larry Gaetano (fired executive), Harold Ford Jr. (suspended), Matt Zimmerman (fired executive), Alec Baldwin (still employed), and David Corn (suspended).
Although NBC News and other left-wing networks gleefully blasted Fox News over allegations against half as many accused staffers, Fox twice hired an independent, outside law firm to come in and conduct a review of those scandals. N
BC News remains determined to investigate itself.
Because left-wing news outlets like CNN, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, want to protect their fellow propagandists at NBC News, even though Ann Curry has broken the news that there is/was a “climate” of sexual harassment at NBC, and pretty much said (as other have) that everyone knew, this will be ignored.
Already being ignored is the fact that current management has all but admitted that previous management knew about Lauer’s alleged predations. This would of course include current CNN chief Jeff Zucker. Management certainly knew that Matthews was forced to settle a sexual harassment case. And then there was the “everyone knows” vibe at 2008 roast of Matt Lauer, attended by the likes of Zucker and Katie Couric.
Finally, NBC spiked its own reporters bombshell report, the one responsible this entire can of #MeToo worms, Ronan Farrow’s exposé on Harvey Weinstein (he was forced to go to the New Yorker). Is it any wonder now as to why NBC News would not want the issue of sexual misconduct becoming a national conversation?
NORAH O’DONNELL: Do you believe that Matt Lauer abused his power?
ANN CURRY: You know, I — I’m trying to do no harm in these conversations. I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations.
GAYLE KING: What do you mean by that, Ann? What do you mean that you’re not surprised? You had heard things? You knew things? What does that mean?
CURRY: That means … 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 wanna cause that kinda pain to somebody else. But I can say that I — because you’re 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. I think it’d be surprising if someone said that they didn’t see that. So it was p — a verbal — sexual —
KING: All right, let me stick with the —
O’DONNELL: Sorry, sorry – I just don’t, I mean — she just said verbal sexual harassment was pervasive.
CURRY: Yeah.
O’DONNELL: At NBC at the time when you were there?
CURRY: You know, I don’t wanna — boy — I don’t wanna cause more pain. But no, I’m — you are asking me a very direct question. I’m an honest person. I wanna tell you that it was. Yes. Period.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.