For years, Katie Couric co-anchored NBC's morning program, "Today," alongside the now-disgraced
Matt Lauer. She served as anchor from 1991 until 2006, when she left to anchor "CBS Evening
News" — becoming the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast. She said
on-air at the time,
"Sometimes I think change is a good thing. Although it may be terrifying to get out of
your comfort zone, it's also very exciting to start a new chapter in your life."
NBC wasn't willing to let go of Couric that easily, though. According to the outlet, they
offered her $20 million a year to stay. At the time, her salary was somewhere between
$13 million and $15 million, and CBS offered her around the same amount. Nonetheless, Couric
chose to go with her gut and move on to something new.
Now, Couric has written a tell-all book about her life and time in the industry that has
set the Internet abuzz. In it, she revealed what she said to Lauer following his ousting
over claims of sexual harassment, and what she said may surprise you.
Katie Couric's memoir "Going There" won't be released until late October, but that hasn't
stopped tidbits from leaking. According to the Daily Mail, Couric sent Lauer a heartfelt
text message amid the news of his sexual misconduct scandal, which she reproduces in the book.
She texted Lauer,
"I am crushed. I love you and care about you deeply. I am here. Please let me know if you
want to talk. There will be better days ahead."
Lauer responded with the kissing face emoji.
Couric writes in her memoir that although she had read about the "awful things" he had
done, she still worried that he was, quote, "sleepless, haggard, depressed, maybe worse."
She argues,
"[It would have been] heartless to abandon him, someone who'd been by my side, literally,
for so many years."
Couric admits in the book that although she had "heard the whispers" about her former
co-host, she eventually reconciled the fact that Lauer was, quote, an "excellent professional
partner, a good friend, and a predator."
"Couple of times during the show, just remind me to breathe. That would help me."
"I'll do that."
In perhaps the most salacious excerpt reported by the Daily Mail, Couric reveals that Lauer
was at one point having an affair with a young production assistant with the same last name
as her, and accidently sent her a raunchy email. Couric found it, quote, "gross" that
Lauer was "taking advantage" of a young colleague, but ultimately kept it to herself, writing,
"The general rule at that time was: it's none of your business."
Throughout her storied career, Katie Couric has never been one to shy away from controversy
— a point unfortunately exacerbated by her defense of Matt Lauer. In November 2019, at
a "Women Who Inspire" breakfast put on by the not-for-profit group Dress For Success,
Couric admitted to being aware of Lauer's off-screen behavior and had an interesting
justification for it: "fraternization."
Couric, who began her journalism career in 1979, said,
"It was really the first time women were really integrating this industry in full force. It
was this culture where fraternization existed and was going on unabated, where people were
having relationships with other people within the business, and I’m sure there were policies
against that, but they were never really enforced."
It is true that Couric did come up in a male-dominated field; Couric was the first solo female news
anchor in the United States, and that only happened in 2006. Couric hopes that Lauer's
scandal serves as a wake-up call to all news organizations around the world. She told the
"Women Who Inspire" crowd,
"I hope these big broadcast organizations are also having a reckoning and realizing
there are certain standards, certain behaviors. [...] There should be a zero tolerance policy
of anyone of fraternization in a business."
Matt Lauer has kept a very low profile since his ousting from "Today" in 2017. So what
exactly is he doing now? Multiple outlets, including Entertainment Tonight, report that
he has been hiding out in the Hamptons. It appears Lauer sought refuge in the posh beach
community after his then-wife Annette Roque kicked him out of their family home following
his humiliating scandal.
Roque had actually tried to divorce him previously in 2006, claiming he had committed "'cruel
and inhumane' acts against her." Allegedly, she opted to withdraw the divorce filing after
Lauer offered her $5 million, claiming a divorce would hurt his public image.
Lauer has been dating Shamin Abas since 2019. Abas is a PR executive with high-end luxury
clients like Rolls-Royce and Dom Pérignon. In fact, Page Six spotted Lauer and Abas at
the same Hamptons event as Roque in late August. It appears that the exes did not interact,
though the tabloid claims they were "just a few feet away" from each other.
f you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit
the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).