Don Lemon still believes in Matt Lauer.
The journalist thinks that Lauer could make a successful return to the media world, despite the controversies surrounding the former Today show host.
Speaking on the Hollywood Raw podcast, the former CNN anchor, 58, opened up about his relationship with Lauer, 67, and expressed confidence in the public’s willingness to welcome Lauer back to television.
“I only got to know Matt after, you know, the whole situation happened and because we live in the same town and we have mutual friends,” Lemon explained.
“Whenever I see Matt out and about, or, you know, even with us, if we go out to dinner, my husband and I will go out to dinner with him and his fiancé. And people love him.”
Lemon noted the positive reception Lauer receives in public settings, adding, “Women love him. They’re like, ‘Matt, oh my God, can I get a picture? I love you. I miss you on television.’ And so I think the public loves him.”
Lauer was fired from NBC’s Today in November 2017 after former employee Brooke Nevils accused him of sexual harassment. Following his termination, several additional women came forward with similar allegations.
Nevils later went public in Ronan Farrow’s 2019 book Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, where she alleged that Lauer raped her in his hotel room during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Lauer has denied the allegations, asserting that all encounters were consensual.
Despite the backlash Lauer faced, Lemon argued that the journalist could chart a new course for his career, potentially on a digital platform. “I think the public misses him,” Lemon said, but acknowledged that industry insiders may still be wary.
“The people inside the business might be afraid of the backlash they may face if they were to hire him back,” Lemon stated.
“Maybe in this whole Trump era when, you know, [being] canceled is over, I don’t know. Maybe there is a way that he’ll come back. But I think it’s more of the people who are inside of the business who are concerned about what happened with Matt.”
