Today Anchors React to Matt Lauer Rape Allegation: 'This Is Shocking and Appalling'

Today on Wednesday went into detail about the allegations against former co-anchor Matt Lauer, who stands accused of rape.

Lauer was famously let go by NBC in 2017 following reports of inappropriate behavior.

However, Ronan Farrow's new book Catch and Kill claims that Lauer raped NBC News worker Brooke Nevils when they were both in Sochi covering the 2014 Winter Olympics, according to Variety.

According to the new book, Nevils turned to human resources in the aftermath, but she was told that her allegations were not "criminal" or "assault."

Nevils said that her "work life became torture" and that she ultimately took medical leave and a payment in the "seven figures."

“I feel like we owe it to our viewers to pause for a moment,” Savannah Guthrie said during this morning’s episode of Today.

“This is shocking and appalling, and I honestly don’t even know what to say about it. I want to say that I know it wasn’t easy for our colleague Brooke to come forward then, it’s not easy now, and we support her and any women who have come forward with claims… It’s just very painful for all of us at NBC and who are at the Today show, and, you know, it’s very, very, very difficult.”

Hoda Kotb then turned to Guthrie and said, “I’m looking at you, and I’m having a weird moment… We were sitting here just like this two years ago, and truth be told, Savannah and I did a little prayer upstairs just before, just to sort out what we were going to do, and I think it’s— it’s like you feel like you’ve known someone for 12 years — and I don’t know if you guys have ever felt like that — you know someone, you feel like you know them inside and out and then all of a sudden, like, a door opens up, and it’s a part of them you didn’t know."

“We don’t know all the facts in all of this, but they’re not allegations of an affair, they’re allegations of a crime, and I think that’s shocking to all of us here who have sat with Matt for many, many years,” Kotb continued of the allegations.

“I think we’re going to continue to process this part of this horrific story. And as you said, our thoughts are with Brooke. It’s not easy what she did to come forward. It’s not easy at all.”

Guthrie concluded, “We’re disturbed to our core… We have a commitment to keep you informed, and we will continue to do that.”