Reaction to Matt Lauer’s dismissal from NBC

LOS ANGELES – Reaction to NBC’s dismissal of Matt Lauer Wednesday for alleged sexual misconduct:

— “When this happens, what we don’t see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward, and it is a terrifying thing to do. We don’t see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassment or the intense stress it causes a woman dealing with it when she comes to work each day. I am thinking of those women this morning and hoping they are OK.” — Megyn Kelley on NBC News.

— “For those who never knew how bad the abuse of power has been there’s understandable shock & horror w every new story. But for those of us who’ve had to endure it & been punished or humiliated for speaking up, this day of reckoning is a blessing. Today we matter & I’m so grateful.” — Actress Olivia Munn, linking to a story about Lauer’s firing on Twitter.

— “I am happy to see NBC has taken swift action with Lauer. They are ridding themselves of someone whose actions are personally detestable. But a question remains: As with so many other sexual harassment allegations, this did not happen in a bubble. Clearly, there must have been numerous people at NBC who knew about his repugnant behaviour. Where have they been all this time?” — Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell in a statement.

— “Sad about @MLauer great guy, highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me. News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation. What about #GarrisonKeillor?” — Geraldo Rivera on Twitter.

— “It seems like a slick way to clean house of expensive contracts or execute long simmering personal vendettas. Are these unprovable allegations a magic bullet for the bean counters at these companies?” — James Woods on Twitter, adding in a second tweet that he was not specifically referring to Lauer’s situation.

“Matt Lauer has been on my list for a while. It’s really too bad more Americans don’t come to my shows. I pretty much recite the list in every show. Haha. I told you, my memory is long, my friends. I’ve been around a long time…” — Comedian Kathy Griffin on Twitter.