Yesterday, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb opened the Today show on a somber (and shocked) note as they announced the firing of their co-host Matt Lauer over sexual misconduct accusations. Guthrie was obviously distressed by the news but also expressed her heartbreak for the woman who had come forward. “This is a sad morning at Today and NBC News,” Guthrie said. “As I’m sure you can understand, we are devastated. I’m heartbroken for Matt. He is my dear, dear colleague. And I’m heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their own stories to tell.”
She added: “This reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, it’s long overdue, and it must result in workplaces where all women—all people—feel safe and respected.” Hotb concurred.
As the day, and the show, went on, her other co-hosts weighed in with Al Roker saying he was “still processing” while the newest addition to Today, Megyn Kelly, said that this one hit close to home but, “”But when this happens what we don’t see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward, and it’s a terrifying thing to do. We are in the middle of a sea change in this country. An empowerment revolution,” Kelly added. “As painful as this moment is for so many here at NBC today, at CBS earlier this month, at Fox News over the last year, in Hollywood this fall, it is a sign of progress. Of women finding their voices, their courage and of the erosion of a shameful power imbalance that has been in place for far too long.”
But it’s Kathie Lee Gifford’s comments that are drawing fire from both men and women on Twitter. Gifford, who is always quite open about her Christian faith, commented that she had been praying for Lauer. But it was what came next that has everyone in an uproar:
“I’m grappling with, should I even share something? But I guess I
really should. I don’t feel that Matt has betrayed us in any way at
all but when I found out that my husband had betrayed me, you question
your own judgment. You say, ‘Was everything a lie?’ And I think we
have to very much fight against that, that the man we know and adored
was the man we loved and adored and continue to. I texted him this
morning and said ‘I adore you and no person is perfect in this world.’
Nobody is. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, is
what scripture says. And what we need now is forgiveness and mercy for
one another. And We don’t need taunts and we don’t need ugliness. We
have enough of that in the world.” She continued by sending her love
and God’s blessing to the person who came forward, to Matt, his
children, his wife saying the one thing she’s sure of in her life is
the only God can heal it.”
The betrayal she’s referring to is the infidelity of her late husband, Frank Gifford. And while it’s all well and good that she chose to forgive him, the situation between Lauer and his accusers is not the same thing. Not to mention that sweeping the multiple accusations quickly aside with a nobody’s perfect, let’s all just get along mentality is a disservice to the women who suffered at his hand.
Twitter, as you might imagine, was not having it.
https://twitter.com/CthJarvis/status/935969208923541509?s=17
https://twitter.com/mg2galaxy/status/935980591362854913?s=17
https://twitter.com/amykishek/status/935977833079308288?s=17
https://twitter.com/zenbreetai/status/935888479036280835?s=17
Here’s hoping Gifford can read the room a little better when she hits the air at 10 a.m. Thursday.
