Former NBC Production Assistant Shares Her Story About Matt Lauer

Breaking the Silence: A Former Production Assistant's Account

Anderson Cooper here, and let me tell you, the story that’s unfolding is nothing short of a revelation. In the wake of Matt Lauer’s shocking ousting from the iconic Today show due to allegations of sexual misconduct, a former NBC production assistant named Addie Collins Zinone has stepped forward with her own account. At 41 years old, Zinone shares her experiences from two decades ago when she worked closely with some of Today's biggest names, like Katie Couric, Al Roker, and Ann Curry, yet maintained a distant relationship with Lauer—until a pivotal moment in the summer of 2000.

It was during this time that Zinone made the decision to leave NBC, and that’s when things took an unexpected turn. Lauer, who had previously kept his distance, suddenly reached out with an invitation to lunch. This isn’t just another lunch story; it’s a narrative that reveals a lot about workplace dynamics and the power imbalance that can exist in such environments.

The Unexpected Message: A Turn in the Conversation

In a candid interview with Variety, Zinone recounts receiving an unexpected message from Lauer. "One morning, on June 8, out of the blue, I get a message from Matt Lauer," Zinone writes. Back then, communication was a bit different. Instead of emails, they used a system called Top of Line, which was essentially instant messaging for employees. His message was casual yet striking: "Hey, I hope you won’t drag me to personnel for saying this, but you look fantastic. I don’t know what you have done, or what is going on in your life… but it’s agreeing with you." These words, though seemingly complimentary, set the tone for what was to come.

Read also:

Michele Obama Talks Social Media A Candid Conversation

Matt and co-anchor Katie in 2000. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The Lunch Invitation: A Confusing Encounter

Zinone’s account continues with the details of the lunch invitation. A month later, on July 12, she received another message from Lauer, this time with a comment that left her bewildered: "OK… NOW YOU’RE KILLING ME… YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY! A BIT TOUGH TO CONCENTRATE." Zinone’s initial reaction was one of disbelief. She questioned whether someone was playing a prank, but it was indeed Lauer. "I again asked him for advice, and he set up a lunch for the day after that," she recalls. Zinone, a 24-year-old production assistant at the time, was unsure how to interpret this new behavior. "He was obviously flirting. But I’d never seen anything like that from Matt before," she explains.

When they finally met for lunch, Zinone had every intention of keeping the conversation professional. However, the reality was quite different. "What that turned into was an opportunity for him to come on to me. It was flattering, confusing, overwhelming. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to do with it," she writes. Lauer’s actions were deliberate, guiding the conversation to suit his intentions. His suggestion that they leave separately after lunch was a clear indication that there was more to the encounter than a mere lunch meeting.

The Aftermath: Crossing Boundaries

After lunch, Zinone reveals that Lauer asked her to meet him in his dressing room. "He opens the door. There you go. It crossed the line," she says. The encounter was consensual, but it happened in his dressing room, a place that was empty in the afternoons. This meeting changed her life, and over the next few weeks, they met several other times. "The situation really took its toll on me. I changed physically. I changed emotionally. Fear crept into my life. I became unsure of myself. Any confidence I had was gone," she recalls.

The Office Encounter: A Breaking Point

Zinone’s story takes another turn when Lauer invited her to his office one afternoon. She thought it was an opportunity for professional encouragement. "I wanted to hear from him that I could succeed in [my new job in] West Virginia," she writes. However, the meeting turned awkward when Lauer pushed a button from his desk and closed the door. "It was embarrassing because his secretary was sitting outside. He wanted to do stuff. I was like, 'No. I’m so in over my head. I’m not a performance artist,'" she explains.