New report details Matt Lauer's alleged lurid behaviors: sex toys, exposure, harassment

Variety released a report Wednesday containing disturbing allegations brought against former NBC 'Today' show host Matt Lauer.

What was in the report?

The Variety report came out the same day that NBC News announced the firing of Lauer, who was accused of sexually assaulting an NBC staff member at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. The report detailed various accounts from those claiming to be privy to Lauer's alleged sexual behaviors that ultimately ended his 20-plus-year career at the network.

According to the report, Lauer allegedly once gifted a sex toy to a female colleague along with a sexually explicit note.

Another account alleged that Lauer exposed his penis to a female NBC employee and "reprimanded" her for not engaging in a sexual act with him after she appeared "visibly shaken."

The report also alleged that Lauer would quiz women at the network on who they slept with and would often play games of "F***, Marry, Kill," using women at the network as choices.

A former NBC producer told Variety: "There were a lot of consensual relationships, but that’s still a problem because of the power he held. He couldn’t sleep around town with celebrities or on the road with random people, because he’s Matt Lauer and he’s married. So he’d have to do it within his stable, where he exerted power, and he knew people wouldn’t ever complain."

Two women who stated they were victims of Lauer's harassment said that there was a button underneath his desk inside his office that locked the office door from the inside.

"It allowed him to welcome female employees and initiate inappropriate contact while knowing nobody could walk in on him," Variety reported the women said.

According to the publication, numerous sources said that Lauer's alleged conduct at NBC was "not a secret" among "Today" employees.

"Management sucks there," a former NBC reporter told Variety. "They protected the s**t out of Matt Lauer."

Is there more?

According to Variety, the outlet embarked on a two-month investigation into various claims leveled against Lauer concerning alleged sexual misconduct.

In compiling the report, Variety interviewed dozens of current and former NBC staffers.

Some of those women who were interviewed by Variety revealed that they had brought the allegations up with NBC's human resources department, but denied that any action was taken.

"Several women told Variety they complained to executives at the network about Lauer’s behavior, which fell on deaf ears given the lucrative advertising surrounding 'Today,' " the publication wrote. "NBC declined to comment."

Variety reported that Lauer had a $25 million annual salary, and that his contract was set to expire in 2018. But the outlet said it's not clear if the network is paying him through the end of his contract. Variety said Lauer couldn’t be reached for comment.