NBC News will not pay the remainder of Matt Lauer‘s salary after he was fired on Wednesday for alleged sexual harassment.
Sources told Variety Friday that Lauer will not receive any kind of settlement money from the network, which did not comment on the report. An NBC senior source told CNN first that Lauer “will not be paid past his last day at work.”
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The long-time Today Show anchor was reportedly earning between $20 million and $25 million a year. Lauer was signed through 2018 after reaching a new deal last year.
On Thursday, it was reported that Lauer’s attorneys were trying to secure a $30 million payoff in the wake of his firing. That would cover the rest of his 2017 salary and the 2018 salary he was expected to earn.
Variety reports that during a NBC Nightly News staff meeting, one employee asked NBC News President Noah Oppenheim about a settlement. They were told Lauer was fired “for cause” and he was not getting paid beyond Tuesday, his last day at the network.
Lauer, NBC News’ major star, was fired Wednesday morning after a female staffer filed a sexual harassment complaint. Since then, multiple women have come forward to accuse the 59-year-old of sexual misconduct.
In response to the ongoing reports on Lauer’s behavior, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack issued another statement Friday, promising a “thorough review” of the worplace.
“This week we saw that when an employee comes forward to report misconduct, the system works. The complaint is quickly assessed and meaningful action is taken. But we also learned that we must do a much better job of making people feel empowered to take that crucial first step of reporting bad behavior,” Lack wrote.
Lack said there will be review of its human resources department, adding that the news department will start “an immediate effort to implement in-person training on sexual harassment awareness and appropriate behavior in the workplace.”
Lauer said Thursday he is “truly sorry” for his actions, but claimed some reports were “untrue.”