NBC has reportedly received 2 more complaints about 'Today' show host Matt Lauer
- NBC has reportedly received two new complaints about Matt Lauer, the former "Today" show co-host who was fired on Wednesday.
- One of the new complaints is from a former NBC employee who alleged that Lauer had invited her to his office in 2001 and had sex with her.
- Multiple current and former NBC staffers also told Variety that Lauer had engaged in rampant sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior during his time at the network.
Two more complaints have been lodged with NBC against Matt Lauer, the former "Today" show co-host who was fired on Wednesday after an employee alleged "inappropriate sexual behavior" from Lauer, The New York Times reported.
One of the new complaints was from a former employee who said Lauer had summoned her to his office in 2001 and had sex with her, according to the Times. She said she didn't report the encounter sooner because she felt ashamed and helpless, and feared losing her job.
The woman's ex-husband and friend both confirmed to the Times that she had told them previously about the encounter with Lauer.
The two new complaints were reportedly lodged after another employee came forward earlier this week and lodged a formal complaint against Lauer to NBC.
Lauer was fired less than two full days after the first complaint was lodged on Monday. NBC News chairman Andy Lack said in a statement early on Wednesday that the network had reviewed the woman's complaint and had "reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
Lack reportedly told NBC staff in a subsequent meeting that the initial complaint stemmed from encounters Lauer and the woman had in Sochi, Russia, during the 2014 Winter Olympics. The pair's involvement continued after they returned to New York, Lack said, two people briefed on the meeting told the Times.
Lauer's representatives did not immediately respond to the Times' requests for comment.
Also on Wednesday, Variety published an investigation including multiple allegations of sexual harassment from Lauer's current and former colleagues. They said Lauer had engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior during his time at NBC.
According to Variety, Lauer allegedly gifted a sex toy to one female colleague, accompanied by a note about how he wanted to use it on her. He was also accused of exposing himself to another female employee after summoning her to his office, then reprimanding her for not participating in a sexual act.
Several staffers told Variety they had complained about Lauer's behavior to network executives, who they say ignored them.
The staffers alleged that Lauer would frequently partake in crude behavior, including quizzing female employees about who they had slept with, and playing the game "f---, marry, kill," in which he would name female co-hosts he wanted to sleep with.