- NBCU will release former employees from NDAs who feel they can't disclose their experience with sexual harassment due to the agreement, per MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
- The announcement comes in the wake of journalist Megyn Kelly, who used to work for NBC, demanding the media company to release employees from their NDAs, namely accusers of disgraced anchor Matt Lauer.
- The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow dug into Lauer's scandal in his new book, "Catch and Kill," where he writes that Harvey Weinstein allegedly pressured NBC News executives to hinder Farrow's investigation to protect Lauer.
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NBCUniversal will release former employees who feel they can't disclose their experience with sexual harassment from non-disclosure agreements, per MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
Maddow, who interviewed journalist Ronan Farrow on Friday night, began the segment by sharing that NBC clarified that there is nothing in any agreement that can legally prevent an employee from disclosing their experience with sexual harassment.
"Any former NBC News employee who believes that they cannot disclose their experience with sexual harassment as a result of a confidentiality or non-disparagement provision in their separation agreement should contact NBCUniversal and we will release them from that perceived obligation," an NBC spokesperson said in a statement shared by Maddow.
NEWS: NBCUniversal offers to release "any former NBC News employee who believes that they cannot disclose their experience with sexual harassment" because of an NDA "from that perceived obligation." pic.twitter.com/zr2dewKDmR
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) October 26, 2019
Farrow, who initially pursued the story at NBC, ended up writing a series of damning pieces for The New Yorker about allegations of sexual harassment and assault made against powerful men, including producer Harvey Weinstein, who has denied all wrongdoing.
His reporting along with reporting from the New York Times, helped tip off the #MeToo movement, and earned them a Pulitzer Prize.
During the #MeToo movement, former host Matt Lauer was fired from the "Today Show" in 2017 after sexual misconduct allegations emerged.
Ronan Farrow dug deeper into the scandal in his new book "Catch and Kill." Farrow's book revealed new allegations aginst Lauer. In the book he is accused of raping a former staffer while they were working at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lauer strenuously denied the allegations in an open letter.
In the book, Farrow also alleges that Weinstein knew about the allegations against Lauer, and that he pressured NBC News executives to hinder Farrow's investigation. NBC has denied the allegations.
Farrow commended his former employer for their Friday night statement.
"It is new, and NBCUniversal executives deserve praise for it," Farrow said, per The Wall Street Journal's Ben Mullin. "It is significant and it should be a model for other companies."
Farrow tweeted praise for Maddow after her segment: "Credit where due: @maddow independently confirming my reporting that Weinstein story was halted by NBC execs and calling her bosses to account on their own air — not an easy thing, for her or her staff — did this."
The announcement also comes in the wake of former television host Megyn Kelly, who used to work for both NBC and Fox News, demanding that NBC release employees from their NDAs, namely accusers of disgraced anchor Matt Lauer.
"Show us the money," Kelly said during an appearance on Fox News. "The number one thing that needs to happen now is they need to release any and all Matt Lauer accusers from their confidentiality agreements. NBC says it has nothing to hide. Great. Let's not hide anything."
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