Biography
As the charismatic and affable co-host of NBC's morning staple, "The Today Show" (1952- ), Matt Lauer became one of America's favorite morning show personalities in the late 1990s, only to watch his reputation crumble when he was fired from the show in November 2017 after an allegation of sexual misconduct. Known for his personable manner, Lauer developed a trusting, but direct interviewing technique which granted him a number of groundbreaking interviews with celebrity and political figures from Tom Cruise and Mark Zuckerberg to George W. Bush and Hillary Clinton. During his "Today" tenure, Lauer reported on stories from across the globe for his annual segment, "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?," logging more than 150,000 travel miles and reporting from more than 25 different locations around the world. Staying on as host of "Today" after Katie Couric departed the show in 2006, Lauer shared co-hosting duties with Meredith Vieira through 2011, while serving as the main anchor for the Olympic Games in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Following Vieira's departure, news anchor Ann Curry took over, but left in 2012 just months after Lauer signed a long-term contract that paid him $25 million annually. Despite controversy surrounding Curry's leave-taking, Lauer had already solidified his legacy long before as one of the most trusted and popular television personalities in the history of the medium, and he continued in his role as the host of "Today." He returned to his Olympic coverage as well, reporting on the Winter Games in Sochi in 2014 and covering for Bob Costas, who was suffering from an eye infection. Lauer was also the reporter to whom Charlie Sheen turned when Sheen decided to disclose that he was living with HIV, and conducted interviews with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race. After what was described as a credible allegation of sexual misconduct, Lauer's firing was announced on the morning of November 29, 2017, in the midst of a nationwide re-examination of sexual harassment in the workplace and in popular culture.
