The embattled 60-year-old TV personality issued a statement to 'The Washington Post' to deny allegations of abuse and misconduct.
Matt Lauer is speaking out directly for the first time in five months since getting fired from the Today show in November.
The former NBC newsman released a statement to The Washington Post on Wednesday, denying allegations of coercion and abuse.
"I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over these past several months," Lauer stated. "I remained silent in an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of the privacy they have lost. But defending my family now requires me to speak up."
"I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC. However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false," he added.
The 60-year-old TV newsman's statement comes after the Post reached out for comment regarding a report they published on Thursday that examined how NBC has handled multiple sexual misconduct scandals that have surfaced against several of the network's biggest news personalities.
Lauer was fired from the Today show on Nov. 29, after NBC received a "detailed complaint" regarding his behavior. Soon after, Variety published a report containing allegations of sexual misconduct from three different women.
Last November, prior to the announcement of his termination, Lauer penned a statement, which Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie read on-air after his firing, expressing his "sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions."
"As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed," he wrote. "I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job."
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