Matt Lauer, a familiar face in morning news as the anchor of "Today" for two decades, was fired by NBC News after a detailed complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace that took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The accusation also noted that the alleged behavior continued after the games, NBC News confirmed.
"Today" co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were emotional as they announced Lauer's firing Wednesday, telling viewers at the top of the live broadcast that they were "heartbroken" over his departure but didn't yet know all of the details.
In a memo to employees sent Wednesday morning, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said the complaint, which was made by a female colleague of Lauer's, prompted a serious review and represented a "clear violation of our company's standards."