Prominent US television presenter Matt Lauer says he is "truly sorry" to anyone he hurt by his words and actions in his first public comments since being fired by NBC amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Lauer's former Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie read a statement from Lauer at the top of Wednesday's show, a day he was fired by NBC for "inappropriate sexual behaviour".
Published reports accuse Lauer of crude and habitual misconduct with other women around the office.
"Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterised," Lauer said on Thursday. "But there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed or ashamed."
He said "repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching" and he's "committed to beginning that effort".
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the news was announced, "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace.'
"But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lack's past!" he added, without further explanation.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-Republican candidate Trump was accused by 13 women who publicly said that in the past he had physically touched them inappropriately in some way, the Washington Post reported.
Lauer is the biggest media figure brought down by sexual misconduct allegations since Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes were ousted from Fox News Channel.
Lauer's exit comes amid a wave of accusations sweeping through the media, Hollywood and politics.
He has long been a valuable and highly visible part of NBC News and one of the highest-paid figures in the industry.
