CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker denies knowing anything about former NBC host Matt Lauer’s sexual escapades while he was at the network, but jokes Zucker made publicly tell a completely different story.
Zucker, the former chair of NBC Universal, roasted Lauer at an event in 2008 at the New York Hilton for his odd sexual behavior in the workplace, and did so in front of a number of media elites. President Donald Trump was even reportedly in attendance at the event.
“It’s just good to see Matt up here and not under my desk,” Zucker told the room. “I don’t want to say Matt is a germophobe, but he’s the only guy I know who uses Purell both before and after he masturbates.”
Lauer reportedly had a secret button under his desk at NBC that would use to lock his door without causing him the trouble of getting up. Two alleged victims of Lauer’s say he would use it to ensure privacy once they entered the room.
Zucker told Business Insider after reports surfaced of Lauer’s misconduct that he was completely unaware of the situation.
“Obviously it’s incredibly disturbing what we’ve learned in the last 24 hours of reporting from the New York Times and Variety, and incredibly sad,” Zucker told reporters. “I’ve known Matt for 25 years, and didn’t know this Matt.”
NBC fired Lauer after reports surfaced that he sexually harassed a woman during the 2014 Olympics. The allegations against Lauer range from reports that he sent a woman a sex toy to asking female coworkers to play “fuck, marry, kill,” with them.
Send tips to robert@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.