Matt Lauer’s accuser is no longer afraid of his alleged “predatory tactics.”
Former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils has slammed the disgraced news anchor’s open letter in which he died anally raping her, calling it a “case study in victim blaming.”
As we reported, Lauer broke his silence on the latest allegations Nevils made against him in Ronan Farrow’s new book, Catch and Kill, in which she claimed he anally raped her in his hotel room in Sochi, Russia during the 2014 Olympics.
In response to the more detailed allegations, the ousted Today cohost, who recently finalized his divorce from wife Annette Roque, penned a lengthy letter saying the Sochi encounter was “completely mutual and consensual” — and “the first of many sexual encounters” between him and Nevils “over the next several months.”
Related: Jennifer Aniston Talks ‘The Morning Show’ & Matt Lauer!
She hit back on Wednesday with a statement that aired on NBC Nightly News, saying she’s no longer afraid of Lauer and his attempts to bully her into silence. It read:
“There’s the Matt Lauer that millions of Americans watched on TV every morning for two decades, and there is the Matt Lauer who this morning attempted to bully a former colleague into silence. His open letter was a case study in victim blaming. I am not afraid of him now… Regardless of his threats, bullying, and the shaming and predatory tactics I knew he would (and now has) tried to use against me.”
Nevils later took to Twitter to thank her supporters, many of whom were said to be sexual abuse survivors themselves.
She tweeted:
“I want to thank the many survivors who shared their stories with me today and offered their support. It takes courage, and I am truly grateful.”
Among Nevils’ vocal defenders is none other than veteran journalist Ann Curry, who called her “a credible young woman of good character” in a tweet. She wrote:
“Brooke Nevils is a credible young woman of good character. She came to NBC News an eager and guileless 20-something, brimming with talent. I believe she is telling the truth. And that breaks my heart.”
Curry previously spoke out against Lauer in January 2018, months after he was fired from Today due to the sexual misconduct allegations levied against him. At the time, she told Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell on CBS This Morning:
“I am not surprised by the allegations.”
King then pressed Curry on the rumors Lauer was behind her leaving Today, to which she replied:
“You’ll have to ask someone else… It hurt like hell.”
Today show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb also spoke out on the latest allegations on Wednesday’s episode of the morning show, with Guthrie saying:
“This is shocking and appalling and I honestly don’t even know what to say about it… I know it wasn’t easy for our colleague, Brooke, to come forward then. It’s not easy now. We support her and any women who have come forward with claims.”
Farrow, meanwhile, says the women’s stories speak for themselves. A rep for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist told Deadline on Wednesday:
“The stories about and comments from the brave women who spoke out for the book will be enough to refute anything he has to say.”
It sure sounds like NBC stands with Lauer’s accusers. Do U?
Related Posts
-
Categories
