Kathie Lee Wants Everyone to Like Lauer Again

Things have not been great lately for Matt Lauer. Amid a press onslaught painting him as the bully who ousted Ann Curry from Today and rumors he might be on his way out, he at least has some pretty important people in his corner: his colleagues. Kathie Lee Gifford wrote an open letter supporting Lauer and denouncing the reports, which she planned to publish as a full-page ad in USA Today, and got the entire cast and crew of the show (hundreds of people, but not Curry) to sign it. Lauer was touched when he saw it, but asked Gifford to keep it "in the family" rather than having it printed.

So how do we know about it? Instead of publishing it, Gifford showed it to the New York Daily News and told the paper all about it. "We the people of the Today show who work side by side, day by day, year in and year out with Matt Lauer are tired of unfounded and unrelenting stories by faceless characters regarding his character and reputation," the letter reads. Amusingly, it also notes, "No one has coerced us to sign this." (More Kathie Lee Gifford stories.)