NBCUniversal said it would not be conducting another investigation into Matt Lauer's alleged inappropriate conduct despite calls for an outside probe, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Spokesperson Hilary Smith said the company was “confident” in their initial probe, which was conducted by NBCUniversal general counsel Kimberley Harris and found “no evidence (that NBC leadership) received any complaints about Lauer’s workplace behavior prior to Nov. 27, 2017.” Smith also said the company fired Lauer “within 24 hours of learning what he did” and launched its internal probe. “Based on our investigative findings, we have swiftly taken appropriate actions to address the situation and improve workplace culture,” she said. “It is also worth noting that this was a corporate investigation that was conducted by an almost entirely female team, none of whom are part of the News division.”
This comes after two former NBC employees—Megyn Kelly and Linda Vester—publicly called for a new, external investigation into Lauer's behavior following new allegations. Investigative journalist Ronan Farrow claimed in his new book that the company knew of multiple misconduct allegations against Lauer and made multiple settlement agreements years before the ex-Today Show co-host was fired in 2017.