Ann Curry was unceremoniously let go from the Today show after only about six months of co-hosting in large part due to the orchestrations of Matt Lauer, her overpaid senior co-host who was recently booted from the NBC family after allegations of his chronic sexual harassment (complete with an “assault button” on his office door) were made public by several women coming forward. Now, she’s back with a new show, and a story to tell.
Curry is back in the public eye thanks to her new show on PBS called We’ll Meet Again, in which she will, as she tells People Magazine, “explore people’s beautiful wishes to reconnect with the people who helped them survive.” But of course, in addition to talking about the show, her life now, and her plans for the future, she’s, of course, talking about her time on Today, particularly with regard to Lauer.
In an interview on CBS This Morning (the video of which you can watch above), when asked about the allegations against Lauer, she said “I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations.” When co-host Norah O’Donnell pressed her to elaborate on what that meant Curry, hesitant about “walking a line” when discussing her former workplace, said:
“I know what it’s like to be publicly humiliated, and I don’t want to cause that pain to somebody else. I can say that I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed… it was verbal sexual harassment.”
When O’Donnell asked if that verbal harassment was pervasive, Curry said, “It was. Yes. Period.”
Thanks to Jezebel, we have some preview quotes from their full interview with Curry, which will be appearing in the issue that drops on Friday. To start, she says that when she was fired from the show, it was of course difficult, “But I had to let go. And I learned that when you not only let go but open your arms wide and learn the lessons that an experience—no matter how bad—can teach you, that’s when you rise.”
“I can say today I’m stronger now,” she continues. “I’m smarter. I’m happier, as happy as I’ve ever been. And my compassion has only grown. When you go through the pain and learn the lessons, you will be changed for the better.”
And, when talking about her new show, and about her career in general, Curry’s motivations are basically the opposite of Lauer’s. “I’m in it to give,” she says. “Not to get.”
I’m so glad she has a new show that seems to suit her, and that she continues to take the high road despite everything she’s been through. And when she “gives” moving forward in her career, I hope what she gives is plenty of hell.
(featured image: screencap)
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