Matt Lauer’s Hit Piece on Ronan Farrow Is a Masterclass in Victim-Blaming
This type of victim-blaming — followed by unearned self-pity — is disingenuous on Matt Lauer's part. It's disgusting. And it's an insult to real victims — the ones Ronan Farrow helps, tirelessly, on a daily basis. | Source: JStone/Shutterstock.com. Image edited by CCN.com.
- Matt Lauer wrote a lengthy op-ed attacking Ronan Farrow.
- Farrow has been on the frontlines of the #MeToo movement.
- Lauer’s assault on the award-winning journalist is disingenuous and disgusting.
Ronan Farrow is one of the few journalists out there who give a voice to the disempowered.
That angers Matt Lauer. And the disgraced former host of The Today Show decided he was going to pen a lengthy op-ed about it.
The op-ed, of course, was nothing short of a hit piece on the award-winning journalist, perhaps inspired by Ben Smith’s New York Times article questioning Farrow’s integrity.
Lauer’s petulant tirade isn’t just childish. It’s disingenuous and disgusting.
Here’s Why Matt Lauer Hates Ronan Farrow
When television producer Brooke Nevils wanted to come forward with her story about Matt Lauer, she turned to the one person she could trust: Ronan Farrow.
Farrow — whose 2017 investigation into Harvey Weinstein not only ultimately landed the producer in jail, but earned The Hollywood Reporter a Pulitzer Prize — subsequently published Nevils’ account in his hit book, “Catch & Kill.”
According to Nevils, Lauer raped her in 2014, while NBC was covering the Sochi Olympics. Lauer, who long had a reputation for “putting the moves on” various interns and producers , categorically denied the accusations.
Yet when Nevils reported the attack to her superiors at NBC, Lauer was ultimately fired. Nevils also received a financial settlement from the network .
When Nevils told Ronan Farrow her story, it became headline news.
And this, obviously, pissed Matt Lauer off.
Matt Lauer Is Not a Victim
Writing for Mediaite, which further tarnished its already-sullied brand by giving a man like him that kind of a platform, Lauer claims he’s nothing short of a victim .
He calls Ronan Farrow’s credentials into question.
And he claims his victim is a liar.
But for all his blustering, Lauer fails to acknowledge two very important things.
Number one, if his victim was indeed lying, he would have grounds for an Earth-shattering libel suit against both Ronan Farrow and Brooke Nevils. Nevils’ statements caused Lauer to get fired – and effectively ended his journalism career.
If the statements were demonstrably false, they could give Lauer grounds for a libel suit of epic proportions. The fact that Lauer chose to air his grievances in the court of public opinion and not a court of law is indicative of the disingenuous nature of his victimhood claims.
Number two, and most importantly, Lauer fails to acknowledge that Nevils received a seven-figure payout for her claims . Why would the network do that if her claims had absolutely no basis in fact?
This type of victim-blaming — followed by unearned self-pity — is disingenuous on Matt Lauer’s part. It’s disgusting. And it’s an insult to real victims — the ones Ronan Farrow helps, tirelessly, on a daily basis.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
