The Shady Side of the Today Show: What the Morning Camera Doesn’t Catch

For over seven decades, NBC’s Today show has been a staple of American morning television. Since its debut in 1952, it has delivered a winning blend of news, entertainment, weather, and lifestyle content that has helped launch the careers of some of the most recognizable names in broadcasting. Viewers tune in daily to see smiling co-hosts sip coffee, banter on trending topics, and deliver breaking news. But behind the camera and beneath the surface, the legacy of Today has been marred by shocking scandals, bitter rivalries, and deeply unsettling allegations.

What started as a groundbreaking format evolved into a ratings powerhouse—but one that has often hidden a much darker reality behind its polished image. From Matt Lauer’s explosive firing to alleged systemic protection of toxic behavior, the show’s long and storied history includes a litany of controversies. These aren’t just occasional missteps—they reflect patterns that have defined the culture of a workplace viewers rarely see.

Ann Curry’s Controversial Exit and the Shadow of “Operation Bambi”

In 2012, co-anchor Ann Curry announced her departure from Today after just one year in the coveted chair. While the official explanation was that she was taking on a new role within NBC News, behind-the-scenes reporting revealed a very different story. Brian Stelter’s book Top of the Morning uncovered that Curry’s removal was reportedly orchestrated by none other than her co-host, Matt Lauer. Dubbed “Operation Bambi,” the plan to oust Curry was allegedly supported by network executives and involved a campaign of undermining and isolation.

Stelter wrote that Curry was never truly given a fair shot at the job. According to sources, Lauer never warmed to her and made his displeasure known behind closed doors. Curry herself later admitted she wasn’t certain about the full extent of what happened but sensed there was more going on. Her eventual departure from NBC in 2015 didn’t come with closure. “It honestly hurts really deeply,” she confessed years later. “Because I really think I did nothing wrong.”

Matt Lauer’s Downfall and the Network’s Culture of Complicity

While Lauer’s role in Curry’s exit raised eyebrows, his fall from grace was much more dramatic and damning. In November 2017, Variety reported that former NBC staffer Brooke Nevils had accused Lauer of raping her during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The encounter, according to Nevils, was not consensual and involved repeated objections that Lauer ignored. He denied the accusation, calling the relationship consensual but extramarital. However, other women soon came forward with similar allegations, revealing a pattern of predatory behavior.

NBC swiftly fired Lauer after receiving the complaint, but the move prompted questions about how much the network had previously known. According to Variety, many staffers believed Lauer’s misconduct was an open secret. One anonymous source said bluntly, “They protected the s*** out of Matt Lauer.” NBC News chairman Andy Lack acknowledged in a memo that although it was the first official complaint, there was reason to believe it wasn’t an isolated incident. In the aftermath, Lauer issued a statement expressing regret for the “pain” he caused, though many saw his words as too little, too late.

Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel: Behind-the-Scenes Sexism

Katie Couric, another legendary Today alum, revealed that her early years on the show were tainted by off-camera sexism. During a podcast appearance in 2023, Couric detailed her strained relationship with former co-anchor Bryant Gumbel. She recalled how Gumbel reacted when she took maternity leave after giving birth to her first child. “He got mad at me,” she said. “He was giving me endless s*** for taking a month or two off.” She said he jokingly told her to “drop it in the field and come back,” a comment that Couric found emblematic of a broader sexist culture.

Couric also admitted that when the truth about Matt Lauer’s behavior surfaced, she was devastated. “It was really disturbing,” she said, explaining that she had never witnessed it firsthand but did her own digging once the allegations emerged. Her discoveries left her disgusted and disappointed.

Tom Brokaw Faces Harassment Accusations

In 2018, former NBC News correspondent Linda Vester accused veteran anchor Tom Brokaw of making repeated unwanted advances in the 1990s. Vester claimed Brokaw tried to kiss her on two occasions, groped her, and once showed up at her hotel room uninvited. She said she didn’t report the incidents at the time out of fear it would ruin her career. “There was a culture at NBC News,” Vester explained, “where women who raise questions about misconduct get labeled as troublemakers.”

Brokaw denied the claims in a statement, calling their interactions professional. In an internal email to NBC colleagues, he wrote at length defending himself. Meanwhile, Vester stood firm. “My client stands by the allegations,” said her lawyer. Brokaw’s situation, while not resulting in immediate job loss, added to growing concerns about Today’s internal environment.

Megyn Kelly’s NBC Tenure Ends in Controversy

Megyn Kelly’s jump from Fox News to NBC in 2017 was accompanied by a reported $69 million contract. But her time at Today quickly unraveled. Her new hour of the show, Megyn Kelly Today, got off to a rocky start and culminated in her downfall after tone-deaf comments about blackface. In an October 2018 segment about Halloween costumes, Kelly questioned why dressing in blackface was considered offensive, saying that it had been acceptable when she was a kid “as long as you were dressing as a character.”

The backlash was immediate. Despite an on-air apology, Black colleagues including Al Roker and Craig Melvin criticized her publicly. NBC canceled her show days later and eventually paid out the remainder of her contract as part of her exit. Though she eventually landed on her feet elsewhere, her NBC stint ended in scandal.

Live TV Fails: From Martin Short to Michael Vick

Live television has always carried a risk of mistakes, and Today has had its fair share of cringeworthy moments. One of the most notorious came in 2012, when Kathie Lee Gifford interviewed Martin Short and asked about his wife—unaware she had died two years earlier. “He and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages in show business,” she said, prompting Short to smile and respond politely, only informing her of the truth during a commercial break. Gifford later issued an apology, and Short graciously accepted.

That same year, the show made another blunder during an interview with Michael Vick. While introducing the NFL quarterback, producers accidentally aired footage of Jerrod Johnson, a different Black player who wore a different jersey number and played in a different position. The mistake, attributed to careless editing and a lack of attention to detail, was seen as racially insensitive and unprofessional.

The Billy Bush and Donald Trump Tapes

In 2016, just as Billy Bush joined Today, audio from a 2005 Access Hollywood taping surfaced, featuring Bush laughing along as Donald Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women. The backlash was swift. Trump brushed it off as “locker room talk” and went on to win the presidency. Bush, meanwhile, was fired from Today just months into his new role. Reflecting later, Bush said he laughed out of insecurity and a need for approval. “I was a pleaser,” he admitted, saying he regretted not pushing back.

Bryant Gumbel’s Brutal Memo

Even before the social media era, internal tensions found their way into the press. In 1990, a memo from Bryant Gumbel to Today’s executive producer was leaked. In it, he tore into colleagues—including weatherman Willard Scott, whom he blamed for “killing us” with birthday shoutouts and corny jokes. Though harsh, some NBC executives admitted Gumbel’s critiques weren’t entirely wrong. The memo exposed long-standing creative disagreements within the show.

Jane Pauley’s Exit and the Deborah Norville Fallout

Another controversial chapter came when beloved anchor Jane Pauley left the show in the early 1990s and was replaced by younger journalist Deborah Norville. Fans assumed Norville had pushed Pauley out, leading to a public backlash that hurt ratings. Norville later revealed she had been told not to speak about the situation, allowing damaging rumors to swirl unchecked. Less than two years later, Norville went on maternity leave and never returned—replaced by Katie Couric.

Behind the Bright Lights, a History of Shadows

The Today show has long sold itself as a sunny, feel-good morning escape for American households. But behind the cameras, its legacy includes incidents of sexism, racism, harassment, and personal feuds that paint a much more complicated picture. While the show continues to evolve with new faces and formats, its history remains a cautionary tale about what happens when power, ego, and culture collide in the high-stakes world of broadcast television.