NBCUniversal will not be conducting an additional, outside investigation into the accusations of sexual misconduct against Matt Lauer, a network spokesperson told THR Thursday.
“We fired Matt Lauer within 24 hours of learning what he did, and promptly launched a corporate investigation. Based on our investigative findings, we have swiftly taken appropriate actions to address the situation and improve workplace culture,” Hilary Smith told The Hollywood Reporter. “There is no additional investigation being conducted. We are very confident in the report that was conducted.”
In 2017 NBC conducted an internal investigation into the accusations of sexual misconduct against Lauer, who denied one accusation that he raped a former colleague but broadly apologized for “the pain I have caused.” Led by NBCUniversal’s general counsel Kim Harris, the final report from the investigation stated that the network “found no evidence indicating that any NBC News or Today Show leadership, News HR, or others in positions of authority in the News Division received any complaints about Lauer’s workplace behavior prior to November 27, 2017.”
But this week, following reporting from the journalist Ronan Farrow, who discovered “seven claims of sexual misconduct raised by women who worked with Lauer,” several journalists and advocacy organizations have called on NBC to re-investigate the prior accusations.
Former NBC News host Megyn Kelly specifically said that NBC needed to conduct an “outside investigation” and release “any and all” former employees with settlements or other severance agreements from their NDAs.
“The question is open to whether they put dollars ahead of decency, about whether they were more interested in protecting their star anchor than they were in protecting the women of the company,” Kelly told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Wednesday evening. “There needs to be an outside investigation into this company. They investigated themselves. That doesn’t work.”
Former NBC and Fox News anchor Linda Vester also said Comcast should launch a “real investigation” into NBC because “we don’t have the truth yet.”
Representatives for NBCUniversal did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.