Long before formerTodayco-anchorMatt Lauerwas fired forallegedly raping a colleaguein 2017,Harvey Weinsteinused rumors about Lauer to pressure NBC News from targeting him in a story,Ronan Farrowclaims.
“Weinstein made it known to the network that he was aware of Lauer’s behavior and capable of revealing it,” Farrow writes in his new book,Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, per the outlet.
He continues to reportedly claim that Weinstein usedNationalEnquirer‘s accumulated reporting on Lauer’s alleged workplace misconduct as leverage. NBC denied ever receiving these threats from Weinstein in a statement that Farrow includes in the book, perTHR.
NBC also continues to maintain that they had no knowledge of Lauer’s misconduct before he was fired in November of 2017.
“Matt Lauer’s conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time. That’s why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint,” NBC News told PEOPLE in a statement. “Our hearts break again for our colleague.”
An attorney for Weinstein did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer.Jim Spellman/WireImage; Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty
In October 2017, the publication of Farrow’s bombshell,Pulitzer Prize-winning articlesinTheNew Yorkerdocumenting Weinstein’sdecades of alleged sexual misconduct and sexual assaultshelped spark the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.
Actresses including Asia Argento andRose McGowanopened up toFarrowwith their stories of Weinstein’s alleged sexual assaults and harassment against them.
Weinstein surrendered to authoritiesin May 2018 at a police precinct in New York wherehe was arrested and chargedwith allegedly raping a woman and forcing another to perform oral sex, police sources confirmed to PEOPLE.
Since then, manymore have come forwardwith stories involving Weinstein and alleged sexual misconduct.
Weinstein is currently set to go to trial in January 2020 for charges of rape, predatory sexual assault and criminal sexual act based on the accusations of two women, according toThe Washington Post.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In addition to the new revelations about Weinstein, Farrow’s bookalso reportedly uncovers new allegations against Lauer,claiming that he reportedly anally raped former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils — whose complaint about Lauer ultimately led to hisfiring. In a statement toVariety, Lauer said he had an “extramarital, but consensual, sexual encounter” with Nevils.
Catch and Killis out Oct. 15.
source: people.com
