Ronan Farrow Rips NBC’s Handling of Matt Lauer Allegations: Years of NBC Settlements Related to Anchor

RUSH TRANSCRIPT STEPHANOPOULOS Now ░░░░░░░░ his first broadcast interview ░░░░░░░░ author of Catch and ░░░░░░░░ Ronan Farrow Ronan thanks ░░░░░░░░ coming in this morning ░░░░░░░░ s start out with ░░░░░░░░ denial from Matt Lauer ░░░░░░░░ detailed an angry denial ░░░░░░░░ calls your story categorically ░░░░░░░░ He says this was ░░░░░░░░ consensual affair the accusation ░░░░░░░░ rape is defamatory designed ░░░░░░░░ sell a book FARROW ░░░░░░░░ obviously in the book ░░░░░░░░ include his exact thinking ░░░░░░░░ violating any ground rules ░░░░░░░░ had very strict rules ░░░░░░░░ what we could reveal ░░░░░░░░ what conversations we had ░░░░░░░░ many of the sources ░░░░░░░░ the book The thinking ░░░░░░░░ every person against him ░░░░░░░░ serious allegation is made ░░░░░░░░ fully represented in this ░░░░░░░░ so there s nothing ░░░░░░░░ there STEPHANOPOULOS Did you ░░░░░░░░ to Matt Lauer FARROW ░░░░░░░░ I can t answer ░░░░░░░░ questions about that but ░░░░░░░░ can say that Matt ░░░░░░░░ s thinking that s ░░░░░░░░ in this letter is ░░░░░░░░ the book and I ░░░░░░░░ this young woman this ░░░░░░░░ Brooke Nevils presents what ░░░░░░░░ found to be a ░░░░░░░░ response to that The ░░░░░░░░ of her case which ░░░░░░░░ backed by documentation and ░░░░░░░░ suggest that there was ░░░░░░░░ encounter here that she ░░░░░░░░ has described as nonconsensual ░░░░░░░░ she says regardless of ░░░░░░░░ happened before and after ░░░░░░░░ how he interpreted that ░░░░░░░░ said no to a ░░░░░░░░ act STEPHANOPOULOS So if ░░░░░░░░ or his allies were ░░░░░░░░ say you didn t ░░░░░░░░ check those claims FARROW ░░░░░░░░ fact checked as with ░░░░░░░░ in this book STEPHANOPOULOS ░░░░░░░░ s go into how ░░░░░░░░ handled this as well ░░░░░░░░ say they first learned ░░░░░░░░ this in November 2017 ░░░░░░░░ was fired We just ░░░░░░░░ that within 24 hours ░░░░░░░░ s what Andy Lack ░░░░░░░░ Any suggestion that we ░░░░░░░░ prior to that evening ░░░░░░░░ tried to cover up ░░░░░░░░ aspect of Lauer s ░░░░░░░░ is absolutely false and ░░░░░░░░ And they re saying ░░░░░░░░ did something as soon ░░░░░░░░ they knew FARROW So ░░░░░░░░ is an important point ░░░░░░░░ This is not what ░░░░░░░░ reporting in the book ░░░░░░░░ We spent several years ░░░░░░░░ this out extensively fact ░░░░░░░░ it What we show ░░░░░░░░ this book with the ░░░░░░░░ trail with documents is ░░░░░░░░ there were multiple secret ░░░░░░░░ and non disclosures being ░░░░░░░░ with women at NBC ░░░░░░░░ But those were after ░░░░░░░░ fact weren t they ░░░░░░░░ two non disclosures FARROW ░░░░░░░░ Years before Over a ░░░░░░░░ of six to seven ░░░░░░░░ A period in which ░░░░░░░░ had previously STEPHANOPOULOS On ░░░░░░░░ Lauer FARROW Any settlements ░░░░░░░░ were seven nondisclosure agreements ░░░░░░░░ ones of those were ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer accusers This ░░░░░░░░ years before this incident ░░░░░░░░ Brooke Nevils and the ░░░░░░░░ And I spoke to ░░░░░░░░ executives who were told ░░░░░░░░ those earlier incidents STEPHANOPOULOS ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer FARROW Indeed ░░░░░░░░ When they say the ░░░░░░░░ they heard about any ░░░░░░░░ with Matt Lauer were ░░░░░░░░ the fact after November ░░░░░░░░ FARROW I ll let ░░░░░░░░ facts in the book ░░░░░░░░ for themselves but I ░░░░░░░░ this is difficult to ░░░░░░░░ when you look at ░░░░░░░░ documents and records STEPHANOPOULOS ░░░░░░░░ Brooke use the words ░░░░░░░░ or assault when they ░░░░░░░░ to NBC FARROW We ░░░░░░░░ careful about laying out ░░░░░░░░ what happened She unambiguously ░░░░░░░░ a rape or sexual ░░░░░░░░ She was not ready ░░░░░░░░ use those words like ░░░░░░░░ trauma victims and her ░░░░░░░░ did in case like ░░░░░░░░ where someone complain asked ░░░░░░░░ clear series of question ░░░░░░░░ s list Ted answers ░░░░░░░░ any doubt said this ░░░░░░░░ nonconsensual and even stopped ░░░░░░░░ proceedings to say this ░░░░░░░░ nonconsensual STEPHANOPOULOS NBC prevented ░░░░░░░░ from finishing your reporting ░░░░░░░░ Harvey Weinstein They said ░░░░░░░░ s not I have ░░░░░░░░ write my own book ░░░░░░░░ show how Ronan farrow ░░░░░░░░ distorts our interactions You ░░░░░░░░ t meet their standards ░░░░░░░░ I m confident in ░░░░░░░░ reporting in the book ░░░░░░░░ let it stand on ░░░░░░░░ own The point here ░░░░░░░░ not that we did ░░░░░░░░ have multiple named women ░░░░░░░░ every draft We did ░░░░░░░░ have a taped confession ░░░░░░░░ Harvey Weinstein The point ░░░░░░░░ that they ordered a ░░░░░░░░ stop to reporting This ░░░░░░░░ told me and a ░░░░░░░░ working on this they ░░░░░░░░ should not take a ░░░░░░░░ call They told us ░░░░░░░░ cancel interviews The question ░░░░░░░░ years has been why ░░░░░░░░ every journalist at that ░░░░░░░░ didn t understand why ░░░░░░░░ I think the book ░░░░░░░░ that question This was ░░░░░░░░ company with a lot ░░░░░░░░ secrets STEPHANOPOULOS Can their ░░░░░░░░ bolstered by the fact ░░░░░░░░ took another seven weeks ░░░░░░░░ get it in shape ░░░░░░░░ The new Yorker FARROW ░░░░░░░░ s inaccurate It was ░░░░░░░░ than that There was ░░░░░░░░ month where The new ░░░░░░░░ green lit the story ░░░░░░░░ goat it out as ░░░░░░░░ as humanly possible The ░░░░░░░░ is not that there ░░░░░░░░ no room to grow ░░░░░░░░ that they halted reporting ░░░░░░░░ this explains why STEPHANOPOULOS ░░░░░░░░ is the big question ░░░░░░░░ You lay out the ░░░░░░░░ that Harvey Weinstein was ░░░░░░░░ NBC news FARROW Multiple ░░░░░░░░ do say that and ░░░░░░░░ way in which that ░░░░░░░░ framed is very careful ░░░░░░░░ of NBC s denials ░░░░░░░░ in the book We ░░░░░░░░ checked for many hours ░░░░░░░░ them That said it ░░░░░░░░ indisputable based on the ░░░░░░░░ this book that there ░░░░░░░░ a chain of secret ░░░░░░░░ at this company that ░░░░░░░░ covered up with victims ░░░░░░░░ harassment and assault Some ░░░░░░░░ them about Lauer Some ░░░░░░░░ others in the company ░░░░░░░░ was a pattern It ░░░░░░░░ concealed from journalists there ░░░░░░░░ George that s bigger ░░░░░░░░ NBC It s bigger ░░░░░░░░ these executives These are ░░░░░░░░ highly public figures The ░░░░░░░░ this reporting was important ░░░░░░░░ because this is a ░░░░░░░░ in media in law ░░░░░░░░ politics institutions that conceal ░░░░░░░░ of this type let ░░░░░░░░ get hurt and that ░░░░░░░░ something we should care ░░░░░░░░ it STEPHANOPOULOS Did they ░░░░░░░░ allow it because they ░░░░░░░░ information about Matt Lauer ░░░░░░░░ get out FARROW That ░░░░░░░░ what the documents in ░░░░░░░░ book suggest STEPHANOPOULOS Stick ░░░░░░░░ us We ll have ░░░░░░░░ on Harvey Weinstein s ░░░░░░░░ to intimidate you and ░░░░░░░░ spying on you That ░░░░░░░░ when we come back ░░░░░░░░ Thanks, George”