AsMatt Lauerstands accused of raping former NBC News colleague Brooke Nevils, the few former friends who still felt some concern for the oustedTodayshow co-anchor since he wasfired for alleged sexual misconducttwo years ago are now “completely appalled,” a source tells PEOPLE.
According to an excerpt ofRonan Farrow‘s upcoming book,Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators,published inVariety,Nevils alleges that Lauer anally raped her in his hotel room at the 2014 Sochi Olympics when she was “too drunk to consent” and stated multiple times that she did not want to have anal intercourse.
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/Getty
“And if you think he wasn’t consciously exploiting that factor, in a predatory fashion, ask yourself why the women coming forward were all junior to him and all within NBC News,” the source adds. “This is one of the most powerful, dynamic, wealthiest men in NYC media circles, and there’s not an aspiring actress, musician, lawyer, model, in the bunch. He knew what to make his prey, and he stuck to it.”
The source also criticizes the “offensive and grotesque” wording of Lauer’s letter.
“He is deliberately trying to provoke and shock, and then he is turning around and being harassing and threatening. It’s just a hugely disappointing response to those who once cared about him — it’s like he’s fully showing his true colors now, and many people who thought he was maybe using all this time away holed up in the Hamptons to reflect and come to terms with his role in all of this now think that maybe he’s actually a far bigger monster than they ever realized,” adds the source, noting how Lauerretreated to the Hamptonsfollowing his firing from NBC two years ago.
According toVariety, inCatch and Kill, Farrow interviews Nevils, whose complaint about Lauer prompted hisTodayshow firing in November 2017. At the time, Nevils’ identity was kept anonymous at her request; this is the first time the full details of her allegations have been made public.
“In a new book, it is alleged that an extramarital, but consensual, sexual encounter I have previously admitted having, was in fact an assault. It is categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense,” Lauer wrote in his letter. “I had an extramarital affair with Brooke Nevils in 2014. It began when she came to my hotel room very late one night in Sochi, Russia. We engaged in a variety of sexual acts. We performed oral sex on each other, we had vaginal sex, and we had anal sex. Each act was mutual and completely consensual.”
Lauer continued: “The story Brooke tells is filled with false details intended only to create the impression this was an abusive encounter. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter. Brooke did not do or say anything to object. She certainly did not cry. She was a fully enthusiastic and willing partner. At no time did she behave in a way that made it appear she was incapable of consent. She seemed to know exactly what she wanted to do. The only concern she expressed was that someone might see her leaving my room. She embraced me at the door as she left.”
Lauer, who recentlyfinalized his divorcefrom longtime wifeAnnette Roque, acknowledged that the encounter was the beginning of his affair with Nevils and “the first of many sexual encounters between us over the next several months.”
“At no time, during or after her multiple visits to my apartment, did she express in words or actions any discomfort with being there, or with our affair,” he said. “She also went out of her way to see me several times in my dressing room at work, and on one of those occasions we had a sexual encounter. It showed terrible judgment on my part, but it was completely mutual and consensual.”
Scott Halleran/Getty
Nevils alsoexpressed gratitudeto those who have been moved to share their own stories after hearing hers.
“I want to thank the many survivors who shared their stories with me today and offered their support,” Nevils tweeted. “It takes courage, and I am truly grateful.”
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predatorscomes out Oct. 1.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go toonline.rainn.org.
source: people.com
