Ann Curry Dishes On Matt Lauer: ‘Not Surprised’ By Former ‘Today’ Host’s Removal

When Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie made the announcement that Matt Lauer was fired from Today, millions of viewers of the NBC show were shocked. Yet, two months later, Ann Curry revealed that she was “not surprised.” What else did Matt Lauer’s former co-anchor have to say on CBS This Morning on Wednesday?

In her first television interview since leaving NBC in 2015, Ann Curry appeared on the morning show to discuss her new PBS documentary series, We’ll Meet Again, as well as the firing Lauer and the #MeToo Movement.

Of course, viewers tuned in to see what Ann Curry had to say about Matt Lauer, who was rumored to have been behind her firing from the Today show in 2012. As always, Ann Curry was a class act, but she was firm in her answers.

According to Fox News, Curry was “pressed” to reveal if others at Today knew about Matt Lauer’s indiscretions. The “uncomfortable” Curry carefully pointed out that it was pretty obvious.

“I think it would be surprising if someone said they didn’t see that. I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed.”

Ann Curry to Appear on ‘CBS This Morning’ https://t.co/QxGDlgMGAg

— Variety (@Variety) January 16, 2018

CBS This Morning co-anchor, and Oprah’s best pal, Gayle King, asked Ann Curry if Matt Lauer was indeed behind her firing.

It was believed that the mostly male NBC executives called the mission to remove Ann Curry from her role as anchor of the Today show the very offensive “Operation Bambi.”

Ann Curry admitted that she was not sure about it, but that nonetheless, it “hurt like hell.”

The line of questioning included Curry’s last day on Today. Gayle King pointed out that “in the court of public opinion,” Matt Lauer, “a very powerful man,” was responsible for derailing her career.

Curry didn’t have an answer for this, but she did say she might “start crying.” She appeared to refer to her emotional last day, as well as thinking back on how her 25 years at NBC News ended.

She did state that she knew what it was like to be “publicly humiliated.”

"I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed…it would be surprising if someone said that they didn't see that," says Ann Curry on climate at NBC

Watch more: https://t.co/Rc2wmC9LA9#AnnCurryThisMorning pic.twitter.com/DSHsuF1VGj

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 17, 2018

As always, Ann Curry stayed classy. She was insistent that the focus should be not on feeling vengeful at Lauer’s firing, but instead, she wanted to focus on the victims. She pointed out how brave they had to be to speak up. She pointed out that she did not know “one single woman” who did not experience sexual harassment.

Ann Curry was outspoken about the need for respect in the work environment and to move forward from “anger.”

“We clearly are waking up to a reality, an injustice that has been occurring for some time. And I think it will continue to occur until the glass ceiling is finally broken.”

Curry then clarified how important that there must not be abused by people of power, to illicitly influence workers and threaten jobs. She spoke about the need for tactics to “sideline women” needed to stop. She pointed out that both men and women are in the same position.

“I’m not talking about people being attracted to other people. I’m talking about people in the work place who are powerful, who are abusing that power — and women and men are suffering.”