Katie Couric Slams Matt Lauer, Labels Him 'Abusive' On Live TV

Katie Couric thinks her former TodayShow co-host Matt Lauer is “disgusting." She shared this sentiment with Savannah Guthrie when she returned to the show as a guest to promote her new book “Going There” out later this month.

Guthrie grilled Couric on her alleged callous words against Lauer and described her book as “snark” and “brutally honest”.

The 64-year-old insists that her comments in her upcoming book are being taken out of context. Well, except for the ones about her co-host of nine years. She admits it was “really, really hard” to get over what she saw as a betrayal from Lauer.

The news anchor was a part of the famous #MeToo movement where a handful of women accused him of inappropriate sexual advances and actions towards them. He was eventually let go from the TodayShow in 2017, but his actions left a stain.

“It took me a long time to process what was going on, because the side of Matt I knew was the man I think you all knew: He was kind and generous and considerate, a good colleague,” shared Couric.

As the former host grew to learn more about the allegations against Lauer she was appalled. “As I got more information and learned what was going on behind the scenes, it was really upsetting and disturbing.”

The correspondent also admits that she used her own skills as an investigative journalist to find out more. “I did some of my own reporting,” she says, and “really tried to excavate what had been going on.” Unfortunately, what she found out was horrific.

“It was really devastating, but also disgusting,” points out Couric. “I tried to understand why he behaved the way he did — and why he was so reckless and callous and honestly abusive to other women.”

After giving Lauer a lashing, Couric made sure to point out the industry’s fault in his behavior. “I think permissive environments often result in serious transgressions,” she shared and noted that in the 90s the TV world was just that, "permissive".

Guthrie, however, wanted to know why, if knowing what she knows about women’s struggle in the industry did she, per her book's admittance, give new, younger women such a hard time. “I think that when there are very few jobs for women and men are making decisions — not necessarily based on the right criteria — that sometimes you do get insecure, and sometimes you do get territorial.”

She ultimately chalked up her poor behavior to “human nature”. But she does regret her actions now, after the fact. “I think I just wish that maybe I had extended myself more and shown people the ropes a little bit more. But I think when people are outwardly kind of vying for your job, it is hard to be generous.”

Couric pointed out that her book will offer a lot of insight to the readers who were wondering what was going on and what she was thinking after Lauer’s exit and the accusations against her being somewhat of a mean girl back in the day.

“I’ve had huge successes — I’ve had some pretty public failures too. I’ve embarrassed myself — I’ve been proud of myself,” she says. Couric insists her book shows “all sides” of her life ad she is "comfortable" with that. Oh and, she is no longer in contact with the disgraced Lauer.