Calling the current cultural reckoning “absolutely overdue,” former Today co-anchor Ann Curry dropped by CBS This Morning to talk about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in workplaces—and one in particular.
Curry co-anchored Today with accused serial harasser Matt Lauer, who was fired from his post in late November of last year, from 2011 to 2012. This Morning anchor Gayle King asked Curry to weigh in on the allegations against Lauer, which include having a button on his desk that allowed him to lock his door from inside his office, as well as the Me Too and Time’s Up movements in general. At first, Curry demurred, telling King and co-host Norah O’Donnell that she’s “trying to do no harm in these conversations.” And while she never went into specifics, she did ultimately say, “I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations.”
When pressed by King, Curry continued, “I’m trying not to hurt people. I know what it’s like to be publicly humiliated, and I don’t want to cause that pain to someone else.” Having said that, though, she “would be surprised if many women did not understand that was a climate of verbal harassment that existed. I think it’d be surprising if someone said they didn’t see that.”
O’Donnell then chimed in to ask Curry if she was saying that the work environment at NBC was one of “pervasive sexual harassment.” After some more hemming—Curry said she felt obligated to provide an honest response to a “direct question”—she said, “It was, yes. Period.”
King went on to inquire about Curry’s all-too-brief stint on Today, which many have been attributed to Lauer’s dislike of the veteran journalist, who now hosts We’ll Meet Again for PBS. But Curry, who’s previously pointed to a more general “boys club” atmosphere at NBC, said she isn’t the right person to answer that question.