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Ann Curry 'Not Surprised' by Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Matt Lauer

January 17, 2018

Former NBC host Ann Curry on Wednesday said she was "not surprised" by sexual misconduct allegations levied against former "Today" host Matt Lauer.

On "CBS This Morning," co-host Norah O’Donnell asked Curry if she felt Lauer had abused his power by taking advantage of women in lesser positions at NBC during his tenure. Lauer was fired in November.

"I’m trying [not] to do harm in these conversations," Curry said. "I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations."

Co-host Gayle King pushed Curry to go further and explain why she was not surprised.

"What do you mean that you’re not surprised?" King questioned. "You had heard things? You knew things? What does that mean?"

"See now I’m walking down that road, I’m trying not to hurt people," Curry said. "I can say that, because you’re asking me a very direct question, I can say that I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed. I think it would be surprising if someone said that they didn’t see that."

Curry worked for NBC News as a TV personality from 1990 to 2015 and co-anchored "Today" with Lauer from 2011 to 2012 until she was pushed out of the show.

In an embarrassing moment for NBC, she wept openly on the air as she announced her departure and received an awkward kiss on the head from Lauer, who was reported to have led the effort to get her off the air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUtEn5tGsSI

During the winter of 2018 she will return to the screen as she hosts the PBS six-part docuseries "We’ll Meet Again," where she explores the stories of individuals whose lives crossed at pivotal moments.