Katie Couric said she felt “betrayed” by her former “Today” show co-host Matt Lauer following sexual assault and misconduct allegations that surfaced in recent years, The Associated Press reported.
“I know Matt thinks I betrayed him, and that makes me sad. But he betrayed me, too, by how he behaved behind closed doors at the show we both cared about so much,” the 64-year-old veteran journalist wrote in her new memoir “Going There”, according to AP.
Couric referred to the disgraced former anchor as a “predator” and wrote about her struggles processing the allegations against Lauer brought forward by an NBC employee.
“It nauseated me,” she wrote.
“So many of us were blindsided, never imagining that a dashing, witty, beloved TV star had such a dark side,” she added. “I’ve come to realize that Matt could be an excellent professional partner, a good friend, and a predator.”
Couric and Lauer worked together from 1997 to 2006.
Lauer was fired from the “Today” show in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct emerged. Since his firing, more women have come forward, alleging Lauer sexually assaulted them, with some incidents dating back to 2001.
Lauer joined NBC in 1992 as a local news reporter in New York City on WNBC, according to NBC News. He was promoted to be the co-host of the “Today” show in 1997.
The revelations from Couric’s book come after the journalist defended her decision to leave out portions of a quote from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from a story she published in 2016.
Her memoir is set to be released on Oct. 26.