Assuming these stories are true, how could it be that the complaint this Monday that led directly to Lauer’s termination was the first one made against the anchor? Or is it possible that the rapid change in our culture surrounding sexual misconduct drove the network to act fast, especially once they knew exposés were in the works by multiple media outlets?…

While it’s plausible that these high-profile women were shielded in some way from the worst of Lauer’s misdeeds, at least one other member of the NBC Today family was less coy when asked about Lauer on Wednesday. Megyn Kelly, herself a victim of sexual harassment at Fox News, admitted that she had heard the “rumors” about him. Sources also told Variety that Lauer enjoyed engaging in “f**k, marry, kill” quiz games with male and female co-workers in which he “would identify the female co-hosts that he’d most like to sleep with.”

Yet somehow, NBC’s top executives were blindsided.