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- A woman who says she had a brief relationship with former "Today" host Matt Lauer has come forward with details of their alleged affair.
- The story includes print-outs of flirtatious messages Lauer allegedly sent her in 2000, when she was a production assistant at "Today."
- Although the alleged "encounters" were consensual, the story brings up questions about the complex power dynamics between powerful men and the women who work for them.
A former "Today" show employee told Variety she had secret sexual encounters with Matt Lauer, the former host who was fired after allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace surfaced last month.
Addie Zinone gave details to Variety, which published her story on Thursday.
Zinone (then Collins) started at "Today" as an intern, then became a production assistant. Zinone said that Lauer kept their working relationship professional until she was about to leave the show for a job as a local anchor in West Virginia.
In June of 2000, Zinone said that Lauer sent her a message on the office instant messaging system:
"hey," Lauer allegedly wrote. "i hope you won't drag me to personnel for saying this. but you look fantastic. i don't know what you have done, or what is going on in your life…but it's agreeing with you."
A month later, he allegedly sent her another message: "OK…NOW YOU'RE KILLING ME…YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY! A BIT TOUGH TO CONCENTRATE."
(Zinone provided print-outs of Lauer's alleged messages to Variety, which are included in the article.)
Zinone told Variety that Lauer invited her to lunch that same month to give her career advice. Instead, Zinone said that Lauer, who was in his 40s and newly married, started to hit on Zinone at the lunch. She was 24 at the time. Zinone said she was so intimidated by his advances and power that she gave into them. They allegedly had multiple "encounters" in his office and his dressing room.
Zinone then entered what she said was a month-long secret relationship with Lauer. Lauer would arrange for her to meet him in his dressing room or his office, she said.
Zinone said that while her encounters with Lauer were consensual, reading other women's stories when the allegations against him surfaced last month were familiar, including when he pressed the button on his desk that locked his office.
"The situation really took its toll on me. I changed physically," Zinone told Variety. "I changed emotionally. Fear crept into my life. I became unsure of myself. Any confidence I had was gone. For him, it was a conquest."
The brief affair followed Zinone for years, even after she left news and joined the army, she said.
"Even though my situation with Matt was consensual," Zinone said, "I ultimately felt like a victim because of the power dynamic."
Matt Lauer and NBC did not immediately respond to a request for further comment (NBC declined to comment to Variety).
For more, and to view the messages Lauer sent, read the full article in Variety.