Katie Couric Talks to Savannah Guthrie About ‘Disgusting’ Matt Lauer Allegations

Despite both hosting the TODAY show together for nine years, Katie Couric reveals she and her former co-host Matt Lauer currently “have no relationship.” Lauer was fired in 2017 for sexual misconduct when multiple women came forward alleging the reporter sexually harassed and performed abuses of power against them.  

Couric shared in an interview with Savannah Guthrie that she performed her own investigation into the allegations. Though, she quickly found out how little she knew of her former colleague.”As I got more information and learned what was going on behind the scenes, it was really upsetting and disturbing,” she said. “It was really devastating, but also disgusting.

“I think what I realized is that there was a side of Matt I never really knew, and I tried to understand why he behaved the way he he did, and why he was so reckless and callous, and honestly abusive to other women.”

Couric plans to open up about the allegations and subsequent fallout between her and Laurie in her upcoming book Going There, which is scheduled to be released on Oct. 26. “I know Matt thinks I betrayed him, and that makes me sad,” she writes. “But he betrayed me, too, by how he behaved behind closed doors at the show we both cared about so much.” In addition to the Lauer scandal –– which she’s spoken about at length before –– Couric will give inside stories from her time at NBC, ABC, CBS and Yahoo News. 

“I wanted to kind of share the messy parts, what real life was like,” Couric said of her book on TODAY. “I think you see all sides of me, and my truth. I feel comfortable with that. I think it’s kind of an emotional rollercoaster.”

“I don’t think the tone and the spirit and the content of the book is like the tabloid headlines I understand are kind of portraying it,” she continued. “It is honest, but it’s very complimentary about many, many people. I think I’m harshest on myself. It’s very self-critical.”