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Hoda Kotb and Matt Lauer at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
- Hoda Kotb said Matt Lauer congratulated her after she replaced him as the "Today" show coanchor on Tuesday.
- Kotb told Entertainment Tonight that Lauer sent her a text with "some really nice words."
- NBC fired Lauer in November after receiving a complaint of "inappropriate sexual behavior."
Hoda Kotb said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Matt Lauer congratulated her after she replaced him (permanently) as a "Today" show coanchor on Tuesday.
"I did hear from him, yeah, he texted me and he said congratulations and some really nice words, and it meant the world when I saw the text pop up," Kotb told ET of Lauer's reaction. "My heart just went like, you know, it meant the world to see that."
NBC fired Lauer in November after receiving a complaint of "inappropriate sexual behavior" from a "Today" show colleague. A Variety report later detailed a pattern of Lauer's alleged sexual misconduct.
Kotb, an NBC veteran who has been with the network since 1998, had been filling in alongside Savannah Guthrie on "Today" since Lauer's firing. She has also cohosted the 10 a.m. (fourth) hour of "Today" since 2008, which she will continue to do moving forward, according to NBC.
Kotb, 53, told ET that she still stays in touch with Lauer, whom she considers a "good friend."
"You know, Matt is our good friend and continues to be, and I think for both of us, we've just been trying to navigate this time and honor our love and friendship with Matt, but also understand and try to learn more about these circumstances," Kotb said. "So, it's complicated when you are surprised by revelations, but you still care deeply for somebody who's a friend. I think for all of us, we've just been trying to navigate through that, with straightforwardness and honesty and integrity."