Katie Couric revealed that she conducted her own external research into the accusations of sexual misconduct against Matt Lauer in a conversation with Today anchor Savannah Guthrie. Lauer, Couric’s co-host of nine years, was fired from the morning show in 2017 after several women accused the anchor of inappropriate sexual behavior.
Couric said she tried to “excavate what had been going on” behind the scenes through reporting and described what she found as both “devastating” and “disgusting.”
“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,” she told Guthrie. “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,” Couric said. “As I got more information and learned what was going on behind the scenes, it was really upsetting and disturbing.”
Couric also discussed her new memoir, Going There, which comes out October 26th. While the book offers insight into intimate moments of her life on all sides, she said, she acknowledges that certain aspects have and will be “wildly misrepresented” as the work is consumed.
Based on excerpts and the conversations surrounding the contents of the book leading up to its release, Couric has already found herself having to defend comments she made about her past colleagues and actions –– like saying she intentionally iced out other women she worked with who she felt threatened by.