Katie Couric accused Bryant Gumbel of obtaining an “incredibly sexist attitude” about her maternity go away when they labored collectively on the “Today” present.
Couric appeared Sunday on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast the place the host brought up Gumbel, whom he named a “friend” and a “guy’s man.”
“He’s a guy’s person, you bought that suitable,” Couric, 67, reported with a large smirk. “He was prickly, but, what a expertise. He’s these kinds of a seamless broadcaster, eloquent. When that countdown would materialize — five, four, three, two, a person — he would just hit it perfect.”
“Smooth as silk,” Maher, 68, interjected.
Gumbel started anchoring “Today” in 1982 and was joined by Couric in 1991 — the very same 12 months she welcomed her initially daughter, Ellie. The duo co-anchored together right up until he still left the display in 1997.
“Complicated male, while,” Couric ongoing on the podcast, alluding to some not-so-fond recollections of Gumbel. “I believe … really gifted male, very good.”
“He obtained mad at me because I was performing a little something on maternity leave,” she disclosed. “And he was supplying me unlimited s – – t for having like a month or two off. I was acquiring my to start with baby.”
“I could see that,” Maher responded.
“He was like, ‘Why do not you just fall it in the area and appear again to work suitable away or one thing?’” Couric explained, noting that Gumbel produced the remark with some type of joking tone.
“He was goofing on me but providing me a great deal of s – – t. But it was emblematic of form of an incredibly sexist frame of mind,” she extra.
The Write-up has contacted reps for Gumbel for comment.
Maher then steered the podcast discussion to Couric’s other “Today” coworker Matt Lauer, who was fired from NBC in 2017 amid allegations of sexual misconduct in the office.
“Well, clearly, there was a tradition of an aged boys’ community,” Maher reported, looping in Gumbel’s alleged off-placing remark.
“Yes, yes,” Couric agreed. “It was a quite unique natural environment, extremely unique. And plenty of fraternization, a well mannered way of expressing inner-business office schtupping.”
“And females experienced to set up with far more. They just did,” Maher stated. “I imply, you know, not to get all fuzzy and Life time Channel about it, but men and women like you and Barbara Walters or just like females comedians of a particular age, you have to genuinely suggestion your hat to them because it was more challenging.”
“Yeah, it was,” Couric nodded.
Couric still left NBC in 2006 and served as the initial feminine anchor of a nationwide night newscast on “CBS Evening News” right until 2011. She went on to do the job at ABC and Yahoo News right before launching her very own media corporation in 2017.
