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Katie Couric calls out Bryant Gumbel’s ‘sexist attitude’ on ‘Today’

Published

7 months ago

April 20, 2024

Katie Couric is reflecting on the “sexist angle” she skilled as a feminine journalist within the ’90s.

On Sunday’s episode of Invoice Maher’s “Membership Random” podcast, the veteran information anchor mirrored on her relationship with former “At the moment” present co-host Bryant Gumbel whereas they had been the faces of the morning program between 1991 and 1997, when Gumbel left NBC for CBS.

The Tv Corridor of Fame inductee praised Gumbel as “a seamless broadcaster” who’s “actually gifted” and “extremely sensible,” however acknowledged they generally butted heads.

“He is a man’s man. You bought that proper,” Couric, 67, informed Maher. “He was prickly, however I imply, what a expertise. I imply, my God.”

“Sophisticated man, although, I believe,” she added. Gumbel, 75, left “At the moment” in 1997 after 15 years. Couric additionally had a 15-year tenure, leaving in 2006.

Couric recalled an incident from 1991 for instance of a time after they had been at odds.

Gumbel “received mad at me” as Couric was about to embark on maternity go away when she was pregnant together with her first baby, she stated, and gave her “countless” flack for her upcoming day off.

“I used to be having my first child,” she informed Maher. “He was like, ‘Why do not you simply drop it within the area and are available again to work instantly?’ or one thing.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Gumbel’s consultant for remark.

She acknowledged that “he was kidding” and “goofing on me,” however Couric stated this alternate “was emblematic of form of an extremely sexist angle.” Being a feminine journalist entailed a piece setting that was “replete with microaggressions,” she stated.

“It was a really totally different setting,” she stated of working in broadcast information after Maher introduced up Matt Lauer, who was fired from “At the moment” in 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied. “Plenty of fraternization, a well mannered manner of claiming interoffice schtupping.”

Most not too long ago, Gumbel hosted HBO’s “Actual Sports activities With Bryant Gumbel,” which ended final 12 months after its twenty ninth season.

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Katie Couric stated 1991 alternate with Bryant Gumbel was ‘surprising to look at’

This is not the primary time Couric has taken a glance again at her expertise working with Gumbel.

In a 2019 installment of her Wake-Up Name e-newsletter, Couric recalled an “uncomfortable alternate” with Gumbel on her final day at work earlier than taking maternity go away.

“Let’s simply say, Bryant Gumbel didn’t fairly get it,” Couric wrote. “It’s fairly surprising to look at it now, 28 years later!”

Within the clip, Gumbel asks Couric why she’s taking “so lengthy” off work.

Couric, then 34 and anticipated to provide start to her first daughter, Elinor Monahan, in three weeks, stated she can be away from the present for 9 weeks complete. She finally solely took 4 weeks off, Couric informed USA TODAY in 2019.

“I will calm down for 3 weeks, as a lot as you’ll be able to calm down if you’re carrying round 30 further kilos,” Couric informed Gumbel through the phase. “Then hopefully I will have the child and all the things. It is a main shock to your physique, I hope you understand, when you’ve got a child. And it takes some time to get again to regular and get on a schedule.”

Gumbel apparently thought that was an excessive amount of time: “Our ancestors did not fear about that shock to your physique. They got here proper again and labored.”

“They usually died after they had been, like, 32 years previous,” Couric stated.

“You are 34 − what are you nervous about?” he responded.

After Couric famous she hadn’t had greater than every week off of labor in a 12 months, Gumbel requested, “What number of males get 9 weeks off?”

She retorted, “Do now we have to do that in, like, a sexist debate?” and requested him to “be good to me” on her final day.

Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel had been ‘very pleasant’ post-‘At the moment’

Couric informed USA TODAY in 2019 that her relationship with Gumbel was “very pleasant.”

“It’s going to be fascinating to listen to his response, however we had a fantastic working relationship,” she stated. “I believe a few of (his angle) was form of in jest and clearly he was giving me a tough time, however simply in context of all of the conversations lately, it was fascinating to look at.”