Matt Lauer's firing from NBC unleashes Twitter torrent
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A tornado tore through Twitter after what has been called "the pervnado" took down yet another high-profile star.
NBC News announced Wednesday that “Today” show co-host Matt Lauer had been fired after the company received a detailed complaint from a colleague Monday night “about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”
MATT LAUER FIRED FROM ‘TODAY’ DUE TO ‘INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR’ IN THE WORKPLACE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Celebrities, news anchors, and even the leader of the free world, took to social media to share their thoughts on the surprising termination.
One of the first reactions came from President Trump. The commander-in-chief said people should look into NBC News and MSNBC Chairman Andy Lack for “putting out so much fake news.”
NBC Nightly News and MSNBC anchor Kate Snow said she was having “trouble processing this news.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown said it was “sad to realize CBS and NBC have a higher standard for conduct than a lot of the voters in America.” Brown also posted Lack’s statement regarding Lauer’s termination and an article of the women who came forward accusing Trump of sexual misconduct.
Savannah Guthrie, Lauer’s fellow co-host, did not tweet her reaction, but addressed his termination during the “Today” show monologue. She said she was “heartbroken” for Lauer and the colleague who came forward with the allegations.
"Today" star Kathie Lee Gifford and co-host Hoda Kotb also addressed Lauer's firing on Wednesday. Gifford said on the show that she told Lauer in a text message that she "adores" him and that "no person is perfect in this world."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She later added that she would praying over the incident.
Rosie O’Donnell took a different tack, and tweeted instead her reaction to Trump’s statement on Lauer. O’Donnell posted a picture of Trump’s tweet with red and black writing stating: “Child Rapist.”
Actor Corey Feldman tweeted Lauer’s alleged sexual misconduct “might explain the hostile interview” he had with the “Today” show co-anchor last month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Actress Rose McGowan tweeted: “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Matt Lauer.”
Actress Bette Midler tweeted: “Matt? Lauer? You’re joking? Right? Men have dropped their…Oh, what’s the use.”
Shortly after the news about Lauer's firing broke, actress Rosie Perez tweeted: "Wow! #mattlauer fired over alleged #inappropriate #sexualbehavior! Yet how do we “reconcile” with the fact that #Trump is still #POTUS?!"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBC News anchor Megyn Kelly addressed Lauer's firing on her show on Wednesday morning. After reading the statement from NBC Chairman Andy Lack, Kelly said "this one does hit close to home."
"I’ve known Matt for a long time, and he has been a friend, and kind, and supportive to me in my transition to NBC. And I see the anguish on my colleagues' faces. But when this happens, we don’t see the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward," she added.
Comedian Kathy Griffin said Lauer was on her "list for a while" and that her "memory is long."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Shameless" actress Emmy Rossum warned that while Trump was tweeting about Lauer to not forget the "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD tape where TRUMP admits to sexual assault."
Comedian Andy Richter warned social media users to not focus too much on Lauer but also on the GOP tax plan.
Lauer, who has been with NBC for more than 20 years, began as a news anchor on the “Today” show in 1994 before becoming a co-anchor in 2008. The former NBC personality had signed a $20 million per year contract in 2016 that would have extended his stay at the network to 2018, making him one of the highest-paid celebrities on television.