Katie Couric says she and former “Today” show partner Matt Lauer “have no relationship” these days.
Couric, who appeared on the NBC News morning show Tuesday to promote her new memoir “Going There,” called the sexual misconduct accusations against Lauer “really devastating,” and his alleged behavior “disgusting.”
Though Couric and Lauer worked closely together for nine years on the “Today” show, she told Savannah Guthrie there “was a side of Matt I never really knew.”
“That was really, really hard. And it took me a long time to process what was going on, because the side of Matt I knew, was the side of Matt, I think, you all knew. He was kind and generous and considerate — a good colleague,” she said. “And as I got more information and learned what was going on behind the scenes, it was really upsetting and disturbing. And then I did some of my own reporting. I talked to people, I really tried to excavate what had been going on. And it was really devastating, but also disgusting.”
Couric added: “I think what I realized was there was a side of Matt I never really knew, and I tried to understand why he behaved the way he did and why he was so reckless and callous, and honestly abusive, to other women.”
Lauer was fired by NBC News in 2017, following accusations of sexual misconduct posed by multiple women.
“There’s always gossip in television news and I think there was gossip here and there about certain people,” Couric said after Guthrie asked her if she now sees memories of Lauer and stories she was told about him when they worked together “in a different light.” “I think it was a very permissive environment in the ’90s, and I think permissive environments often result in serious transgressions. I think back then, it was sort of like, you felt like it was none of your business. And nobody ever came to me to talk to me about it. And I think our notion of what a consensual relationship is has changed dramatically, and you have to consider the power dynamics.”
Watch a portion of the interview below. Couric’s book, which includes her text-message exchanges with Lauer following the accusations, comes out on Oct. 26.