A source tells ET, meanwhile, that some NBC staffers aren't surprised by the news.
Matt Lauer's former Today co-anchor, Ann Curry, has spoken out about the news that Lauer was fired for alleged inappropriate sexual behavior.
In an interview with People, Curry revealed that she's "still really processing" Lauer's firing, but said that the actions taken by NBC News demonstrate that "the battle lines are now clear" regarding workplace conduct.
"The women's movement got us into the workplace, but it didn't make us safe once we got there. And the battle lines are now clear," she shared. "We need to move this revolution forward and make our workplaces safe. Corporate America is quite clearly failing to do so, and unless it does something to change that, we need to keep doing more ourselves."
“I admire the women who have been willing to speak up both anonymously and on the record. Those women need to keep their jobs, and all women need to be able to work, to be able to thrive, without fear. This kind of behavior exists across industries, and it is so long overdue for it to stop,” she continued. “This is a moment when we all need to be a beacon of light for those women, for all women, and for ourselves."
Curry was named co-anchor of Today in 2011, but was fired just over a year later, and replaced by Savannah Guthrie. A source tells ET that Lauer's firing sent shockwaves through NBC, hitting Guthrie the hardest.
“The office has a somber feeling; people are very quiet. It feels like we’re mourning," the source says, adding that "everyone was shocked by it, but clearly Savannah took the news the hardest.”
“People [at the network] are having a hard time watching the news coverage. [Lauer] was always professional when I was around him. He was on time, he was on set when he was told to be, he took instruction well," the source adds of Lauer's conduct around the office. "He wasn’t the kind of guy that would stop in the hallway and have a conversation with just anyone but he certainly acknowledged the people that worked around him even if it was saying ‘good morning’ in passing."
"Others may argue that and say that he was difficult to work [with] or moody in studio, but some people forget that this is a morning news show that is fast paced," the source continues. "A lot is happening all at once and from time to time, people’s mood’s get the best of them.”
Another source, meanwhile, tells ET that NBC staffers have mixed feelings about Lauer's firing. "While it is sad about Matt, it's not surprising," the source reveals.
Former Today anchor Natalie Morales, meanwhile, praised the "courage" of Lauer's accuser.
"I woke up to the news like everyone this morning -- just in shock. The Today show, of course, has been my family for 16 years now and it is difficult,” she said on Access Hollywood Live on Wednesday. “I think everyone is saying how difficult it is to process the news.”
Rumors circulated in 2016 that Morales' exit from Today was due to an affair between her and Lauer -- though both were quick to deny the reports. Morales addressed the rumors while speaking out about Lauer's firing on Wednesday.
“I have personally dealt with rumors in the past for years that were hurtful to me, my family -- they diminished my hard work. I’ve addressed those rumors head-on in the past. That is not the story today," she declared. "The story today is the courage of a colleague who did come forward, and when and if she wants to tell her story publicly, I’m sure she will. But it did take a lot of courage for her to come forward. It was no doubt a very painful decision."
ET has reached out to Lauer's rep for comment.
See more on Lauer in the video below.
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