x
Breaking News
More () »

Matt Lauer accused of raping colleague at 2014 Sochi Olympics, new Ronan Farrow book alleges

Author: Suzanne Nuyen, TEGNA A former NBC News employee has alleged that former TODAY Show anchor Matt Lauer raped her in 2014, according to Ronan Farrow’...
The Today Show Gallery of Olympians

Author: Suzanne Nuyen, TEGNA

A former NBC News employee has alleged that former TODAY Show anchor Matt Lauer raped her in 2014, according to Ronan Farrow’s new book, “Catch and Kill.”

Brooke Nevils’ identity was kept private by NBC News at her request after Lauer was fired from “TODAY” for sexual misconduct in 2017. Now, she’s made her identity public in an interview with Ronan Farrow.

Variety obtained a copy of the book, where Nevils says Lauer raped her in his hotel room in 2014, during the network’s coverage of the Sochi Olympics. Nevils said she was in Sochi at the time to work with “TODAY” co-anchor Meredith Vieira when the assault occurred.

In her account, Nevils said Lauer joined her and Vieira for drinks one night at the hotel bar where the NBC News team was staying. She said she had six shots of vodka that night and went to Lauer’s hotel room twice. The first time was to retrieve her press credentials and the second was at Lauer’s invitation.

Once Nevils was in his hotel room, she said Lauer pushed her against the door and kissed her. He then pushed her against the bed and asked if she liked anal sex, according to Variety.

“She declined several times,” Farrow wrote, according to the report. Lauer then “just did it,” Farrow writes.

According to Variety, Nevils told Farrow the experience was “nonconsensual in the sense that I was too drunk to consent. It was non-consensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn’t want to have anal sex.”

Lauer and Nevils had more sexual encounters once they returned to New York. Farrow writes that Nevils was terrified about the control Lauer had over her career, according to Variety.

Nevils told Vieira about the encounter in Sochi in 2017. According to the book, Vieira urged Nevils to go to NBC Universal human resources with a lawyer. Lauer was fired shortly after.

“TODAY” anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb addressed the allegations Wednesday morning.

“This is shocking and appalling,” Guthrie said. “I don’t even know what to say about it. We support her and any women who come forward with claims.”

“We were sitting here just like this two years ago,” Kotb said, referring to her and Guthrie’s broadcast the day Lauer was fired. “You feel like you know someone. You feel like you know them inside and out and all of a sudden a door opens up.”

NBC News said they reached out to Lauer, but representatives did not immediately respond.

Before You Leave, Check This Out