Former “Today” show co-host Ann Curry is speaking out about Matt Lauer’s recent firing from the NBC morning show.
Curry spoke with People on Wednesday night to discuss the recent and sudden firing of Lauer over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. She said she’s “still really processing” the news.
“The women’s movement got us into the workplace, but it didn’t make us safe once we got there,” Curry said. “And the battle lines are now clear. We need to move this revolution forward and make our workplaces safe. Corporate America is quite clearly failing to do so, and unless it does something to change that, we need to keep doing more ourselves.”
Curry began working at NBC News in 1990, and in 2011 became the co-host of the “Today” show, alongside Lauer. A year later, Curry was fired from the show and gave an infamous tearful goodbye during her last episode.
She was reportedly pushed out because the show’s ratings had fallen behind “Today” show rival “Good Morning America,” but there were rumors that Lauer and Curry did not get along and, according to The New York Times, she felt that a “boys’ club atmosphere behind the scenes at ‘Today’ undermined her from the start.”
Curry told People she admires all of the women who have spoken up about sexual misconduct in the last few weeks.
“I admire the women who have been willing to speak up both anonymously and on the record,” she said. “Those women need to keep their jobs, and all women need to be able to work, to be able to thrive, without fear. This kind of behavior exists across industries, and it is so long overdue for it to stop. This is a moment when we all need to be a beacon of light for those women, for all women, and for ourselves.”