Matt Lauer Accused of Raping NBC Colleague, Ronan Farrow Book Alleges

The long-running face of NBC’s "Today" show was fired after a female colleague made a detailed complaint accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior

An upcoming book from journalist Ronan Farrow includes allegations that former “Today” host Matt Lauer raped an NBC colleague while at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Variety reported the accusations after reading an advanced copy of “Catch and Kill,” which is not scheduled to hit bookstores until Oct. 15. NBC News has not seen a copy of the book.

Lauer, the long-running face of NBC’s "Today" show, was fired by NBC News on Nov. 29, 2017, after a female colleague made a detailed complaint accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The accusation also noted that the alleged behavior continued in the workplace after the Olympics.

In the book, Farrow writes that the woman who made the complaint against the anchor said that Lauer anally raped her in a hotel room while in Russia, according to Variety.

NBC News said in a statement issued after the Variety report, "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. Our hearts break again for our colleague."

The book identifies the woman as former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils, who NBC had previously not named at her request.

Lauer on Wednesday issued an open letter through his lawyer, Libby Locke of law firm Clare Locke, characterizing his relationship with Nevils as "completely consensual." 

"In a new book, it is alleged that an extramarital, but consensual, sexual encounter I have previously admitted having, was in fact an assault," Lauer said in part in the letter. "It is categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense."

“There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter," Lauer said.

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