Nevils said in Farrow’s book that it seemed more transactional than an actual relationship. Nevils was, apparently terrified about the control Lauer had over her career.
After her encounters with Lauer ended, Nevils said she told “like a million people” about her situation with Lauer. Farrow writes: “She told colleagues and superiors at NBC” when she moved to NBC’s Peacock Productions to work as a producer, she told her bosses. “It was no secret.”
A Second Assault
The second sexual encounter Nevils described in Catch and Kill furthers the non-consensual idea. Nevils was in Lauer's office searching for something, and Lauer, according to Nevils, “grabbed her hips."
Additionally, Lauer then pressed her into inappropriate acts and in exchange would offer her favors.
Two Sides to Every Story
Lauer has denied these harsh and heart-rending allegations. In his statement, he maintained that it was purely an extramarital affair that began in 2004 in Sochi, Russia and it was purely consensual.
In addition to this statement, Nevils had more inappropriate encounters with Lauer back in New York. Farrow wrote that sources close to Lauer emphasized that she sometimes initiated the contact.
The Reckoning
When the sordid details of Harvey Weinstein's escapades came to light, several friends urged Nevils to take her information to Meredith Vieira. Distraught, Vieira then had Nevils bring the information to NBC Universal human resources through a lawyer. Lauer was fired. However, Nevils's story wasn't over.
She learned that Noah Oppenheim, president of NBC, and Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News and MSNBC, tried to emphasize that the incident had been neither criminal, nor an assault. “She claims this caused her to throw up,” Farrow wrote. “Nevils's work life became torture.”
A Toxic Work Environment
Farrow continued, detailing how hard it became for Nevils to continue working at NBC. Despite the fact that human resources had promised Nevils she would remain anonymous, revealing the assault had happened at Sochi narrowed the field of possibilities greatly.
Soon it was common knowledge. Nevils went on medical leave, and despite not wanting money, received a seven-figure payout in 2018.