Matt Lauer and his wife in November, 2012
The National Enquirer has a new story about Matt Lauer’s maybe-inappropriate relationship with a 20 year-old intern named Lucie Fink. Fink tweeted recently that she had lunch “alone with Matt Lauer” at the Four Seasons, adding that “He is SO nice… my new mentor.” The Enquirer claimed, as they do, that Lauer’s intentions are not honorable and that he sent Fink “flirty” texts telling her not to wear “Daisy Dukes” to work.
Now Lauer is really on the defensive. His excuses seem completely plausible to me, and I think he’s telling the truth. Still, it’s hilarious to see his friend get all indignant on his behalf, as if he’s above such behavior.
Today show host Matt Lauer is ‘furious’ at claims that he flirted with a pretty college student while giving her career advice.
The TV stalwart, 55, took budding journalist Lucie Fink to lunch following a request from a friend.But he has now been left seething that a friendly text exchange sparked by a message from the pretty brunette has become the subject of public scrutiny and been taken ‘completely out of context.’
A close friend told MailOnline: ‘Enough is enough, Matt is so tired of this.
‘There was nothing seedy or suggestive in this meeting. Is this a message that guys should only mentor guys? Isn’t that a terrible glass ceiling?
‘This in particular hurts because the intentions were so innocent.’
Matt, a married father-of-three, met brunette Lucie, 20, a senior at John Hopkins University, at the behest of his close friend and colleague, Debbie Kosofsky, a senior producer on the Today show.
Debbie, who has been working with Matt since 1986, told MailOnline: ‘The Finks are family friends of mine, so I asked Matt as a favor to have lunch with Lucie, because she’s pursuing a career in journalism.
‘In my 30 years working with Matt, I have seen him mentor and help countless young journalists and broadcasters. He has always been incredibly generous with his time and advice.’
He took Lucie, a budding TV reporter who has made several appearances on the Today Show over the past 15 months, to lunch at the Four Seasons Hotel’s restaurant in Manhattan.
And in a text responding to Lucie before an upcoming appearance on the NBC morning show on July 10, published in the National Enquirer today, Matt messaged: ‘Bring your ‘A’ game tomorrow young lady. Look forward to seeing you.’
Lucie replied: ‘You know I will! Can’t wait. Are you the talent for the segment?,’ to which Matt responded: ‘Yes! I will be interviewing you. Don’t screw it up. And no daisy duke shorts with flip flops!’
However, a senior source at the Today Show revealed Matt says this to ALL interns – calling it his ‘pet peeve’ when youngsters turn up for their big break dressed for the beach.
Matt met Lucie for lunch two months ago, however his friend said: ‘This notion of Matt ‘whisking’ Lucie out for lunch is ludicrous.
‘It was arranged by Debbie, Matt’s dearest friend on the show. They have worked together for 30 years and Lucie is good friends with Debbie’s son Jeffrey.
‘The reason Lucie has done appearances on the Today Show is because of Debbie and she told Matt ‘Listen, I’m asking a huge favour, could you please have lunch with her, she needs advice on several internships she’s weighing up’.
‘Matt would do anything for Debbie, so of course he agreed. He did not initiate this lunch.’
The friend revealed that Matt holds all his business lunches at the Four Seasons, saying: ‘Matt is at that restaurant twice a week – he must have had between 50 and 70 lunches there alone this year – that’s just where he goes.’
Matt speaks to all the interns,’ said the senior Today Show source: ‘He takes an active role in helping them and every year he speaks to all the NBC News interns.
‘And one of the stories he tells at every one of these meetings is how, 35 years ago, as an intern at WOWK-TV in Huntington, Virginia, he only had two sports jackets, and rotated them every day, so people would know that he took the job seriously.‘What he’s been dismayed by over the years is that he has noticed that intern attire has deteriorated.
‘At the Olympics last summer, the guys were dressed in basketball jerseys and the girls were in the equivalent on Daisy Duke shorts and flip flops.
He says ‘you must show up looking professional, as if you’re going on a job interview’.
Aw poor innocent, helpful Matt Lauer! He only thinks about women’s ass cheeks in the context of inappropriate work attire. In all seriousness I’m buying Matt’s excuse, especially when they have quotes from his colleague admitting that she asked him to help out this young woman. It’s still kind of awesome to see him on the defensive, and to watch him scramble to cover his ass. Given that Lauer is known as a philanderer who regularly “takes an interest in” pretty, flirty women at work, it’s not a stretch to believe that he would try his chances with a coed. Many powerful men have. The Enquirer wasn’t really reaching here.
Here’s an interview with Matt and Lucie, thanks to The Daily Mail. She seems so young, but I’m not a dude so I have no idea.
I’m more pissed that this girl got an internship through a family friend. Obviously that’s how most of the ones at high-profile media places are filled, but it still pisses me off.
my thoughts exactly.
also, the friend should have gone for lunch as well, IMO.
this story creeps me out.
YES – the friend most certainly should have accompanied.
That was my thought too. Everyone knows that Matt is always being accused of bedding coworkers so why wouldn’t a third party also attend the lunch just to protect his image?
I also have to agree with him on work attire. I’ve had several bosses that complain about how young people come to interviews with cleavage hanging out, super short skirts, etc. It’s not professional.
ITA. So many naive people seems to bask in the false illusion of fairness and equal opportunity, but, in reality, the family relationships and connections are what increasingly gets one the opportunity to land a coveted internship. While this method has always existed and is perhaps the earliest method by which humans throughout history have found opportunity, it is disappointing that the economy and concentrations of wealth/privilege have skewed such opportunities back toward this construct. For the rest of us, we have to utilize our innate intelligence, learned skill-set, looks, and perhaps sexuality to swing the inequalities back into our favor when such pre-existing relationships don’t grandfather our opportunities in this lifetime.
My husband and I talk about this as we have a daughter who will be going to college in two years. When you pay for places like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, you’re not just paying for the education. You’re paying for the social/professional connections you will make there.
Christo….did you read the National Enquirer story?? She is not an intern at The Today Show! The only thing arranged by the family friend was the lunch.
“You’re paying for the social/professional connections you will make there”
Exactly…but it doesn’t start in college. It is also why parents will pay $20-50k per year for their kids to go to places like Buckley and Harvard Westlake in high school, etc. I have even seen elementary schools that cost well over $10k per year.
I completely subscribe to the belief that America is a meritocracy. I was born into a poor family in the hills with no connections. I worked my tail off studying in school, college and law school while footing the bill myself. Then I started out in my industry (not journalism) as an hourly associate with very little pay to get my foot in the door. After two years I got my first promotion and have moved up from there. It’s difficult but it can be done. Hard work and dedication are required. Would have been easier to know someone but it can be done on your own merit.
Well said! Wow such eloquence!
As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you……….”
Pretty much. That’s why I can’t stand when people harp about the myth of America being this great meritocracy, where all anyone needs to do is “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” and they’ll be rich and sucessful. Yeah right. America has never been a complete meritocracy and social stratification is worse then ever. If you don’t have the built in social connections, it’s 10 times harder for you to get the same place as people who do. And more often then not you still might not get to where you want to be. When rich people get a hand out or hand up it’s called networking, when poor people get a helping hand it’s demonized as socialism.
Exactly!
It’s this ridiculous myth they sell. If you are doing poorly in America then it is your own damn fault, right? Such BS!
And no, I’m not bitter and speaking personally. I’m actually doing fine economically, and can provide slightly better for my own children than my parents did for me. But my husband and I both come from white, middle class, educated backgrounds. I see plenty of people, just as smart and hardworking as myself, crushed by this system.
Exactly. This is also a reason why racial diversity in workplaces is so important. We need to create pathways to prominent internships (or networking regarding those internships) to reach beyond the usual white, wealthy privileged families. Oppression from the past (slavery, etc.) creates cycles of poverty, addiction and despair. Some people were born already “up” and never needed to rely on their boostraps. Others have bootstraps too heavy to lift alone. You have to be able to access the resources necessary to lift the heaviest straps.
Yeah, it’s definitely about who you know. I worked my way through college, about 30-35 hours a week while going to school. I didn’t join any sorority or clubs b/c i was too busy working to pay the bills. I learned that lots of professors repeated the tests and the fraternities/soroties would pass around copies of the tests to memorize. so they were getting good grades w/o studying. So they were cheating and their reward was straight As.I had a 2.8 or 3.0 average and didn’t do an internship b/c i had to work a real job to pay my bills. but I could never get a job in my field, I was either over or underqualified. so basically, imo, my degree was a waste of time. I met someone who worked for one of the companies I would have loved to work for in the past, and just out of curiousity (I had a feeling I knew the answer), I asked how he got on there. answer: he knew someone. In my experience, that’s how most people get their good job. I was real bitter about it, b/c I had all these delusions that I would graduate from college and land a high-paying job. But it is what it is. Now I have a good paying job but I stumbled into it, and it is something that does not require a degree. But it was real heartbreaking to work my butt off for four years and feel like I got nothing for it. So you if do go to college, peeps, join a sorority and work on meeting people who can help you out. because that’s what matters, who you know.
@Joanna: You make an important point. Networking can make a big difference in accessing opportunities. I don’t think sororities are the only way to make that happen. I would vomit and run away screaming if I had to join a sorority. I’m socially awkward and have an aversion to anything related to appearances or impressing people for a social position. These are sweeping generalizations about sororities. I’m sure they’re not all that bad. Just not my thing – at all.
What worked for me was volunteering in my chosen field, even doing menial stuff for low-rung employees. Volunteering helped me understand the roles of various staff members, the structure of the organization, the importance of each staff person. It built my knowledge-base and helped me form relationships.
I also cold-called people in my field or related fields to invite them for coffee. I expressed interest in their career, how they obtained their job & skill set, asked for advice about getting a foot in the door, what I could do to improve my chances of getting involved in the profession.
Many people do want to help enthusiastic people with a passion for their type of work. You can make networks for yourself. It’s takes commitment and perserverence, but you just keep knocking on doors close to the one you want to eventually go through. Pretty soon you find a window or a crack or, like you, stumble upon the right spot to enter.
My first thought too – and we’ll hear in years to come how “hard” she worked to make it in TV … There are lots of people capable of working hard if they have this young lady’s huge leg up!!
Guess you can’t read….she is not an intern at The Today Show.
….yet
But she has appear on various Teen segments on the show working directly with Matt many times. See photos above.
Well guess what….. she will be the first one in when they hire one solely because of her luck to know this woman who asked Matt to see her. Give me a break. It’s just a matter of time.
Glad you’re pissed off at that since she doesn’t even have an internship at The Today show…..she works for another company in the ad biz. The whole premise of your comment and those that follow is invalid.
??? You think having lunch with Matt Lauer helping her figure out which internship to choose is NOT going to give her career in journalism a boost? Having access to his insider tips, which must surely include more than what to wear? Being invited to appear on the Today Show as a panelist?
The point is not whether she has the qualifications, which at age 20 is questionable, but that she received special access because of who she knows. That particular door was flung open as a “special favor” for her friend’s mom. Does that happen all the time? Of course. That’s the point. Access is frequently granted to the well-connected, the wealthy, the privileged few. There are plenty of other young people who would benefit from that boost in insider knowledge, career advice, appearances on national news programs, but most will never get the chance. They don’t run in Matt Lauer’s circles.
She doesn’t work at the Today show
Eventually she will.
you said it. i majored in media production. i went to a decent college (regular university, not an online or art school). i couldn’t catch a break in the industry. unless you know someone or have family connections, forget it.
Sorry, double post. Stupid technology!
Even though she’s not an intern there, it feels like the resentment is overboard.
You can turn every moment into an opportunity. America sells that and it’s true. It all depends on your life choices. I speak on personal experience.
I’m a woman of immigrant decent who grew up in a not so great area with no one our family knew outside our hood. My mom and aunt worked their asses off to go to Columbia university on a full ride. I went to the equivalent of a community college. I worked my ass off to continue my work with what I eventually decided to major in: film production.
No one at my school knew anyone in the industry. I paid for a degree that didn’t help me get work. I worked HARD taking any job in film, paid or not, and worked like there was no tomorrow. 2 yrs after graduating and making almost NOTHING (seriously, I made 11k one year then went DOWN to 7k!), I landed a coveted job in the city. They didn’t accept me outright. I called again and again about openings. A year after I first submitted my résumé, they hired me. After 2yrs learning everything I needed to and networking w ppl thru that job, I’m now a camerawoman on some of the biggest films in the world. Exactly what I wanted.
Everyone here, if they could, would pass opportunities to dear family and friends who show an eagerness and determination for the job. MLs producer would not have set up that meeting if the girl showed no potential. And she doesn’t deserve scorn for that.
*long post over 🙂
@McCraw: I hear you. I’m definitely not saying this young woman deserves scorn. Many people, like you, have achieved their success because they worked extremely hard, starting at the lowest levels of their chosen field.
But someone has to help you figure out what works. Someone had to help your mom and aunt figure out how to apply for scholarships at Columbia.
We don’t make our successes in a vacuum outside relationship & at some point networking. Sometimes it’s just one fabulous teacher or guidance counselor or parent with a vision who shines a small light and we’re able to find the path’s entrance. Sometimes we are born a few steps from the finish line. Sometimes we’re born into a world where the light is very hard to find and there seems to be no way out.
Can someone achieve success out of each of those circumstances? Yes. Are they equally likely to? I would argue no.
I’m not buying his story! Lauer just oozes skeeviness, and NBC spends an awful lot of time defending everything he does.
Agreed. Thou (NBC) doth protest too much!
Yessssssssss! BTW, Matt’s married to the Madame Tussaud’s wax dummy of Wallis Simpson. Woof!
Sumodo. Awesome description. She was absolutely stunning at the start of her relationship with Mr. Skeevy. Its like he sucked the beautiful out of her.
Seriously? I’m NOT a fan of this man, but I’ve had plenty of business lunches with older men who work in the industry–nothing “sinister” about it.
There was NOTHING suggestive in those texts unless you’re using a highly active imagination to interpret them.
I do think Matt has been unfaithful, but he’s a smart guy-he’s not going to have an affair with a 20-year-old intern.
Really? I think Bill Clinton is maybe, a little smarter than Matt Lauer, and well, we know where that went.
Don’t get it twisted: the guy is a major douche, but he is an intelligent dude.
You better believe that with everything he has riding on his reputation/career, that he’s going to (and has been) keep his indiscretions on the DL.
yeeesh, and Christie Brinkley’s ex-husband? Peter some-body? omg. Nasty.
Bill Clinton’s pattern was passivity in sexual things, despite not very credible rumors to the contrary. Lewinsky definitely pursued him, she already had an established pattern of seeking power that way, and it wasn’t a difficult task to accomplish. If she had not pursued him, it is doubtful that he would have pursued her at that point. Maybe in his earlier days he would have made a suggestion (which is obnoxious enough) but all credible reports are that he would not pursue further if rejected. I don’t know how his wife put up with him… He does have some remarkable talents and says many sensible things otherwise. I don’t know why so many men are like that, it’s as though they are two different people. But there are also women who want to attach themselves to powerful men. They aren’t evil either and can have other good qualities. I always admired Lewinsky’s refusal to let interrogators cast her in a victim role during that idiotic impeachment process. She may have been temporarily delusional about him dumping his wife for her, but she was very clear that it was her own choice.
Idk, the texts could have been tamer then conversations that they were having in person. He might be smart enough not to leave an electronic paper trail. He just comes off as such a creep that I wouldn’t this kind of behavior past him. Or maybe I’m just jaded from experiencing and observing so many older men behaving in a disingenuous way with young women in office environments. I really don’t know.
I dont think theres anything to see here. Not because Matt is too smart but because theres just no evidence. Those texts are so completely harmless, I can see a father sending that to his daughter.
How did National Enquirer get those texts though? Office rival? Hacking?Because she couldnt have leaked them herself and sabotaged her internship.
Hi Kitten! I’m melting! I want this summer to end, I can’t take it!
👿
As for Matt Lauer ~ He should be smart enough to know that we all hate him and people will pounce on anything that has the slightest hint of shadiness!
But yeah, let’s hope he isn’t stupid enough for this to be true.
“He should be smart enough to know that we all hate him and people will pounce on anything that has the slightest hint of shadiness!”
Ha ha..true dat, ZZZ 🙂
I know! I am so tired of having upper-lip sweat. Gross 🙁
This summer has firmly cemented the fact that I am indeed a Cold Weather Gal—I’d rather it be 25 degrees than 98. Ugh.
Let’s move to Alaska!
Side note ~ I’ve always found that pic of Matt & wife kinda hilarious. She looks kinda cold and mean, and looks like she is the boss. And he looks like a dog that got yelled at for peeing on the carpet.
TOK, I agree. I graduated from college last year and we were always encouraged to go on informational interviews with alumni connections (or ANY connection we may have) who worked in a sector we were interested in. Just meeting for a casual cup of coffee or lunch to discuss your career prospectives was the norm, and I’ve had such informational interviews one-on-one with a few older gentlemen, without needing a chaperone or feeling weird about it.
This girl’s mistake was tweeting that she had lunch ALONE. That’s what makes it sound so suspicious. And anyway, it’s bad business/job-hunting etiquette to basically brag about the details of meetings such as those. It was essentially an informational interview and should’ve been treated as a real one meaning keep the details quiet. Wonder if she’ll be hired as an intern there now.
Agree about this girl tweeting to the world that she had a lunch meeting with Lauer alone is a big problem. That and the fact he felt the need to tell her how not to dress makes think she is not right for any job, especially one that requires discretion. She seems like a child. Can’t imagine ever shouting to the world on a public forum who I had a work meeting with. Now his friend and co-worker looks bad because she is the one who asked the favor. So this dumb woman has burned 2 bridges with one tweet. Of course her rich well-connected helicopter parents have probably already done the groveling for her so she will be just fine.
Yes. Not professional on her part.
Agreed. Many years I worked as a newspaper reporter (in small towns, so nothing that would end up on TMZ lol). I lunched with judges, lawyers, local politicians, pr people, sheriffs, etc etc. It was all a part of the game, and there was no weirdness. FFS it was all in public. As much as Matt Lauer annoys me, I can totally see this as innocent.
Kitten, don’t forget David Letterman’s a smart man, but was thinking with his other head.
Why didn’t he bring someone else along to the lunch? With his history with the press on cheating, he was a complete idiot to have a 1-on-1 lunch at a fancy restaurant with a 20 year old female. It may have been completely innocent, but it was stupid from a PR standpoint. His friend should have known that too.
+1000. Also, don’t have lunch with someone with a twitter account.
Right. Or respectfully ask them not to Tweet. My kids met an influential college basketball coach and I wanted to get a photo and he said “just as long as you don’t put it on Facebook or anything.” I thought that was reasonable. I’m thinking a little discretion can go a long way, especially when it comes to social media.
Meh, I buy the story. He had a business lunch date with a young intern. Not to say that he would be above using such a situation to find his next sidepiece, I’m sure he would. But the meeting itself could have been innocent.
Didn’t get to first base, wasn’t even a team at the field, no bat or ball.. he was lost in the dark woods without a cell phone.. heh.. the victim probably thought.. oh ew.. he’s so sleeze-dorky-fug., I think I will change my career choice..
I don’t think getting help from a family friend has anything to do with wealth. My brother worked for my dad’s friend that had a Dad/Son lawn service. Hardly wealth. It is how I got an interview for a job. My family is not wealthy. So I don’t have a problem with getting help to get through a door. Once you are inside you have to have the talent to prove you deserve to stay there.
I’m not a fan of Matt at all, but this doesn’t sound like anything. And he gave her great advice. I can’t tell you the number of times I have seem young people come in for an interview or work application dressed inappropriately. They don’t know many of them, and they have to be told. Sometimes you only get one chance.
No, it does. Trust me. Everyone treats you differently when you have a giant pile of money behind you. Better Drs -everything. There’s a way of letting people know you come from money, you will be going to places that cater to and live around others with money. I’ve seen it first hand. Those spoiled kids get the 20$ hr jobs right out of college bc of who their parents know. And seen smart capable deserving people who worked two jobs through college and their parents worked themselves to the bone at horrible jobs to put them there. End up not getting the position they deserved as the same rich kids w the same diploma from the same grad class. And guess who was smarter and deserved the 20$ hr job. And was paying their own way. And guess who never had a job before that and was bankrolled their whole life. The system pretty much always had been that way. It sucks.
I feel you ) : I don’t like to think about it too much (can be depressing) but I’m in a similar situation currently working my ass off to make it. It feels all for not, like I’m not making any strides and when will my break come. All I can do is work harder, be smarter, and hope for the best.
I don’t think getting a job through a family member or friend is wrong either- as long as you’re also good at what you do and actually do your job. In today’s economy, a person has to get a job how they can.
(Please don’t interpret that last sentence the wrong way!)
He’d go for someone older. A giddy 20 year old would be too immature and certainly could not be relied on not to keep it quiet about any affair. There’s nothing here.
There should be a company policy in place to not allow hirings based on connections.
Could have been an innocent lunch, but not so sure an immature 20 year old would be a turn-off. The news is littered with stories about powerful men tripped up by an adoring young intern.
Matt always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.. The Four Seasons in the middle of the day? No way.
Yeah, there are a million great restaurants in the 30 Rock area of midtown without having to resort to a HOTEL. And the excuse that he eats there regularly really dowsn’t help his case comnsidering his past. This smells like the Letterman intern fiasco….
FYI— The Four Seasons Restaurant is not part of The Four Seasons Hotel. One is on 52nd St….the other is on 57th. Wasn’t the National Enquirer the magazine that claimed we were be invaded by 3 headed aliens?
Matt is known for being a womanizer. Another of his wonderful qualities. I don’t know what his intentions are, you can have lunch with a male coworker and have it totally platonic. I just don’t think he has the best reputation, so people automatically think the worst.
I don’t know if he was pushing up on this girl, but I wouldn’t put it past him. Something about Matt Lauer has always seemed douchey and creeptastic. He just reminds me of the creepy, opportunistic older men who would inappropriately flirt with and fixate on the younger women and female interns in the offices I’ve worked in. The worst situation I’ve ever been in was a few years ago when I asked for a stipend at this internship I accepted, and the pervy manager said that he would be willing to pay me a salary and cover my traveling expenses if I had a sexual relationship with him. He tried to take advantage of the fact that I was a poor college student desperate for money, job experience, and college credit so that I could graduate on time.
Young female interns are really vulnerable to this kind of behavior, not to mention probably not having much relationship and life experience to know that situations like this are not worth it and will often not work in your favor. The Tikki Barber situation was an exception.
So I guess you said no? How’d that go–did he threaten you are anything? I’m very interested to know, hopefully this doesn’t come off rude
@Alexandra
@Alexandria- Nope you’re not coming off rude at all. Thanks for asking. I guess I wasn’t as clear about the outcome as I thought I was: hell yes I said no to that dirty old man, lol. I politely declined his proposition but kind of wish I had told him off and explained to him how disgusting he was. But for a long time I felt like it was my fault and I brought it on myself. This happened at a high profile retail wholesale company in NYC. I really wanted to do this internship at all costs to (finally) get my foot in the door of a corporation and I felt that I was at fault for choosing to open up to him about my money situation and making myself look vulnerable, poor, and pathetic. I couldn’t afford to work the FULL TIME hours that were expected at this internship, plus pay traveling expenses without getting another full time job. So that I needed some kind of stipend so that it would be feasible for me to do this internship. He took advantage of that, and for a while I just felt bad about not being one of those fabulous (rich and well off) fashion girls who can do endless full time, non paying fashion internships to get their foot in the door of the industry.
But with a few years perspective I realize that he was a perv and that he probably would have started sexually harassing me after I got there anyway. Thank god they are changing the law regarding all these non paying internships in the fashion and publishing industries. These “internships” which are really just full time jobs without any pay, really disadvantage and exploit young people, particularly young women.
Yeah….female interns should just bury their head in the sand and leave the whole world to the men. You are a sexist. Three cheers for strong intelligent women!
I’m not sure if you’re replying to me, but I just wanted to know what her personal outcome to the situation was. Not judgement either way.
KennethK- What?!? Whoever you’re talking to your comment is rude and out of line. Crawl right back under the rock you came from, bro. Kay?
Yes Kenneth you are really stupid. What about Mia’s comment was sexist?
Thank you for replying. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that and I completely understand where you are coming from with having to choose an internship (for free that will hopefully lead to a career) or just another paying, dead-end job. I have several friends that are extremely hardworking and intelligent and were going to school to become pharmiscists, but couldn’t afford to do the non-paying internship to take the next step. It’s sad and I am glad things are changing for the fashion industry in regards to this situation. And I hope other industries across the board realize that most people who need these internships to get their foot in the door, need it because they DON’T have the necessary connections, etc. and many of them are perfectly capable of doing the job even if they CAN’T afford to do it for free. I’m calling for a revolution!
*sidenote- I hope that man gets a swift kiss in the ass from Karmic Justice. And I wish you the best Mia
Ah, here is class privilege and connections at their finest! Who are Letterman, Lauer, and let’s not forget Mark Foley, to resist the bevy of interns every season, prime for the poaching?
Yuck.
Where does it say she was an intern at NBC. ??? Ever consider that she’s on the air cause she is talented? If I had a connection I’d never be put on tv.. I watched. She’s very smart ,articulate and gorgeous!
I hate the term “coed”. It implies that it’s not perfectly normal for a woman to go to college. As if male college students are the norm and get to just be called college students, but women are “coeds” ooOOOOOoooh. It’s porny and sexist. Can we please ditch it?
This entire story is sexist and degrading to women.
Very good point. I never really thought about it before but you’re right-“coed” is a ridiculous, outdated term. This isn’t 1955.
I always thought co-ed just referred to both men and women living in the same dorms together.
Bingo.
I’ve seen this young woman on the Today Show a few times and think she’s smarter than most of the guests they have on. She’s a natural. Isn’t it just like the Enquirer to degrade women and insult the intelligence of their readers?
Nepotism and connections are they way so many get ahead, I don’t even know how that could be a surprise. And these sort of interne introductions happen all the time, one of my best friends is a multiple Emmy winning promotions person here in Hollywood, we went to the same university, he gets intern and introduction requests all the time. He usually goes out takes them on the lot and grabs lunch at the commissary etc and gives them advice. It’s what you do if you’re a nice guy.
Ew, one of those “don’t wear that because I can’t control myself ’round wimmen-folk!” types.
She was not an intern at the Today Show…
The texts were so harmless. Everyone’s out to get Matt Lauer!! WHY? And that girl is talented, pretty, and has her whole life ahead of her. Leave it to the National Enquirer to try to insinuate something like this! So stupid. It was a lame article.
totally in agreement as to the harmless nature of the texts… it’s the establishing of the connection, then the friendliness = trouble brewing, and where theres smoke theres fire. it ALWAYS starts out innocent – then later they get to say “It just happened!”
I agree with everything you said, but what’s up with her announcing she had lunch ALONE with him? That was stupid, IMO, and opened the door to all of this. Maybe she’ll learn to be more careful of how she words stuff she publishes in social media.
I’m really curious to know how they got the texts. Did someone hack her phone? Or did she provide them just to show nothing sneaky was going on?
Me thinks he doth protest too much.
Had ML not been known (believed) to have *ahem* dalliances in the past, there would be no need for all the blather about how it was innocent, and a favour for a friend, blahblahblah.
What I’d like to know is, who takes a 20 year-old college student/intern/whatever to The Four Seasons for an “innocent” lunch meeting? (Unless she’s your kid.)
Well because he has lunch at the 4 seasons 2-3 times a week! And he mentors all the interns! And he was doing a favor for a friend! And he has concerns about interns maintaining professional dress codes! And and and… 😉
he should be apologizing for his disrespectful line of questioning to trayvon martins parents. their son through no known fault if his own was shot, killed and received no justice by a man who does not regret taking his life and whose family had the nerve and irony to fear vigilante justice. why should they forgive someone who is not sorry for killing their son? why must blacks always be asked to forgive and not be angry about things that would make any person go mad? why is it when we are victims even our offenders get more leniency? he can go straight to hades.
However Matt gets his comeuppance, it’s well-deserved. Karma comes in many flavors. See the movie The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Matt Lauer is a creepy old man.
I honestly cannot stand these middle-aged weirdos that letch after young women. How pathetic.
Can I simply just say what a relief to find someone who truly understands what they are talking about on the internet.
You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and
make it important. More people ought to check this out and understand
this side of the story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular given that you most certainly have the gift.
He’s an asshole, but the situation does seem innocent. Plenty of wealthy people eat at hotel restaurants like The Four Seasons, the Chateau Marmont, etc. If it was dinner it’d be a little more sketchy, but lunch? No.
He is SO gross!!!!
I spent my 20s and 30s being hit on by my older male bosses. I know he’s not her boss but I don’t believe it was a benevolent lunch either. It never is with a pretty 20 year old.
Every time I look at Matt’s wife I get an uncomfortable feeling
I used to intern for the Today Show, and the only way you ever made it on TV, or had your ideas make it to a segment, was if you or your family was a close friend of one of the producers. It’s also how most people in that industry get promoted. It’s depressing.
Also, Matt Lauer never came off sincere to me. Brian Williams was WAYYY nicer than him and so was Ann Curry. A shame she is gone now.
Wow, someone should be fact checking! Huntington is in WEST Virginia.
Also, Lauer comes across as a pompous ass. I can totally see him being smarmy and creepy.
Wow Denis! Can you tell us anything interesting that was going on at NBC while you worked there? Who was nice and who was nasty? Did you get to meet Hoda or Kathie Lee? Did you work with Savannah, Natalie, or anyone else on the Today’s Show? Just curious… I watch them every morning!
This is so dumb. I’m 26, when I was 23 I had lunch with a 40 year old work colleague that was nothing more then him helping me figure out what I needed to do to get where I wanted to go. He was mentoring me, not trying to get in my pants. I feel bad though as I’ve essentially chucked it all in as I’ve realised that path was not for me.
And the work attire thing- some people are so clueless. I work in a corporate environment and we had this guy (my age) who would come in wearing ripped jeans (you could see his boxers) which hung low, or walk in wearing boardies and thongs (flip flops to he non Aussies) with a singlet to show off all his tattoos. He was reprimanded so many times yet he would still do it.
I found this attitude so annoying when I was young myself. So decades later, it’s still a problem? Honestly, life is not like tv and movies. Males and females are capable of talking and working together without getting romantically entangled.
As one specific example: Once I was talking to my dissertation advisor in his office and one of his old friends called – my advisor asked me to answer the phone. The guy hung up! Turned out he automatically assumed the worst when he heard a female voice in the office after 5pm. He wouldn’t gave done that if my office partner (male) had answered exactly the same way. It really is an impediment to real equality.
Unless a guy is a known sleaze who preys on young women (in which case, why are you friends?), there really isn’t a need for a chaperone at a working lunch like this. Not all guys are predators. One office partner kept stealing my chair (he claimed seniority since he was there first and was older and he liked that chair better, I just kept stealing it back), but that’s all the predatory behavior I ran into while sharing offices and labs with guys.