Brooke Nevils doesn’t merely want her name out there. She also wants her voice heard. Loudly, clearly and very forcefully. Nevils is the NBC producer who issued the complaint in late 2017 that led to Lauer being fired by the network for sexual misconduct . Her identity was kept secret at the time — but she has now revealed both herself and her story to Ronan Farrow as a major part of that reporter’s upcoming book, “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.” In excepts released from the book this week, Nevils alleges that Lauer raped her at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 . She says the disgraced ex-Today Show host invited Nevils to his hotel room… where he proceeded to throw her on the bed and ignore her pleas NOT to have anal sex. “It was nonconsensual in the sense that I was too drunk to consent,” she tells Farrow in the book. “It was nonconsensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn’t want to have anal sex.” Brooke Nevils confirms that she did sleep with Lauer a few times after they returned to New York City, labeling their relationship as “transactional.” Nevils went on medical leave in 2018 and was eventually paid “seven figures” by NBC to keep quiet, writes Farrow in his book. But she can’t keep quiet any longer. Not after Lauer responded to this claim via an open letter that Nevils finds abhorrent in its tone and content. Late Wednesday, Nevils released a statement, which aired on NBC Nightly News, that read as follows: “There’s the Matt Lauer that millions of Americans watched on TV every morning for two decades, and there is the Matt Lauer who this morning attempted to bully a former colleague into silence.” Added Nevils of Lauer’s lenthy reply to her accusations: “His open letter was a case study in victim blaming. I am not afraid of him now.” Lauer confessed in his letter to engaging in an extramarital affair with Nevils. He denied all allegations of assault, however, emphasizing how the two carried on a sexual relationship long after this incident in Sochi. “We performed oral sex on each other, we had vaginal sex, and we had anal sex. Each act was mutual and completely consensual,” Lauer wrote, adding: “There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter. Brooke did not do or say anything to object. She certainly did not cry. She was a fully enthusiastic and willing partner. “At no time did she behave in a way that made it appear she was incapable of consent.” Nevils has taken Lauer’s words as an attempt to shame her for her actions… but she refuses to back down. “Regardless of his threats, bullying, and the shaming and predatory tactics I knew he would (and now has) tried to use against me,” Nevils said on Wednesday. Lauer, for his part, stated that Nevils never worked for him in any way at NBC, continuing: “I have never assaulted anyone or forced anyone to have sex. Period.” He then delves into the women with whom he slept while married. “For two years, the women with whom I had extramarital relationships have abandoned shared responsibility, and instead, shielded themselves from blame behind false allegations. “They have avoided having to look a boyfriend, husband, or a child in the eye and say, I cheated . “They have done enormous damage in the process. And I will no longer provide them the shelter of my silence.” Nevils is one of these women, yet she has serious issues with the way Lauer has framed their interactions. And she’s thankful to all who have stood by her side. “I want to thank the many survivors who shared their stories with me today and offered their support. It takes courage, and I am truly grateful,” Nevils Tweeted last night. NBC, meanwhile, which has been accused of covering up Lauer’s heinous misdeeds, issued a statement of its own yesterday. “Matt Lauer’s conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time,” said the network. “That’s why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint. Our hearts break again for our colleague.” It concluded as follows: The first time we learned about Matt Lauer’s sexual misconduct in the workplace was the night of November 27, 2017 and he was fired in 24 hours. Any suggestion that we knew prior to that evening, paid any ‘hush money,’ or tried to cover up any aspect of Lauer’s appalling behavior is absolutely false. NBCU’s legal team has done an exhaustive search of available records and conducted dozens of interviews of past and present staff, and uncovered no claims or settlements relating to allegations of inappropriate conduct by Matt Lauer that pre-date his firing. Only following his termination did we reach agreements with two women who had come forward for the very first time and those women have always been free to share their stories about Lauer with anyone they choose. View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior
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Brooke Nevils Speaks Out, Trashes Matt Lauer for Victim-Shaming
