Media

Megyn Kelly addresses Matt Lauer: This one hits ‘close to home’

by Brett Samuels

NBC host Megyn Kelly said Wednesday the firing of colleague and “Today” co-host Matt Lauer for alleged sexual misconduct “does hit close to home,” but called the recent wave of allegations against high-profile media figures a “sign of progress.”

“This one does hit close to home. I too have known Matt for a long time, and he has been a friend and kind and supportive to me in my transition to NBC News,” Kelly said to open her show.

“But when this happens, what we don’t see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward. And it is a terrifying thing to do,” she continued. “We don’t see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassment, or the intense stress it causes women dealing with it when it comes to work each day.”

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According to a memo from NBC News Chairman Andy Lack, the network received a “detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace” by Lauer.

Lack said it was the first complaint NBC had received about Lauer but said the network had “reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.”

“I’ve been at another news channel where this happened,” Kelly said Wednesday, noting sexual harassment complaints that surfaced against high-profile employees during her time at Fox News.
 
Kelly was among the employees who complained about the behavior of former longtime Fox host Bill O’Reilly and the network’s late chairman, Roger Ailes. Both men were ousted from Fox after employees accused them of sexual harassment.
 
“In my experiences, a news organization is bigger than any one person,” Kelly said.

Kelly said the wave of recent sexual misconduct allegations against high-profile figures in Hollywood and at multiple news channels is an indication that women feel empowered to speak out. 

“It is a sign of progress. Of women finding their voices, their courage and of the erosion of a shameful power imbalance that has been in place for far too long,” she said.