When NBC fired “Today” show star Matt Lauer abruptly last month, it stunned the mainstream media.
Why release such a reliable source of ratings that was well-loved by liberal audiences?
Critics wondered publicly: Was Lauer the victim of an unfair witch hunt? Or was he really an out-of-control creep?
The woman behind Lauer’s firing came forward this week with her side of the story — and supporters say it looks bad for the disgraced NBC News star.
However, critics point out that she also confessed to having consensual sex with Lauer for months — and only afterwards complained to her bosses about the married Lauer’s advances.
Former production assistant Addie Collins Zinone says when she was fresh from college, she began receiving unsolicited, suggestive texts from Lauer. “‘Wow, you look great . . . Whatever you’re doing with yourself or in your life, it’s certainty agreeing with you…'” the longtime NBC host told her.
When asked for professional advice, he replied “‘Sure, anytime.’ And then a month went by and … I got another message that said, ‘OK, now you’re killing me. You look great today. It’s a bit tough to concentrate.’” Zinone said in a recent interview.
She said Lauer acknowledged he was crossing a professional boundary — but he didn’t care. They eventually engaged in a months-long trist while at work, which Zinone claims was conseual but an “abuse of power.”
Zinone eventually enlisted in the U.S. Army and served two-tours as a broadcast journalist in Iraq.
Lauer, after he was fired, made the following statement on Nov. 30: ““ome of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.”
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