Katie Couric Is Ready to Discuss Matt Lauer's Firing from 'Today'

Katie Couric previously said that she would speak out about Matt Lauer‘s firing from the Today show when she was ready, and that time is now.

The former Today co-host has released a statement about Matt‘s dismissal from the show for allegations of sexual misconduct.

“The whole thing has been very painful for me,” Katie told People. “The accounts I’ve read and heard have been disturbing, distressing and disorienting and it’s completely unacceptable that any woman at the Today show experienced this kind of treatment.”

“I had no idea this was going on during my tenure or after I left,” she continued. “I think I speak for many of my former colleagues when I say this was not the Matt we knew. Matt was a kind and generous colleague who treated me with respect. In fact, a joke I once made on late-night television was just that, because it was completely contrary to our brother-sister relationship. It’s still very upsetting. I really admire the way Savannah [Guthrie] and Hoda [Kotb] and the entire Today show staff have handled a very difficult situation.”

Katie once said that Matt “pinches me on the ass a lot” during an interview on Watch What Happens Live in 2012, but as she mentions in the statement, she was only joking.