People Open Up About Katie Couric's Cruelty In Her New Book
Katie Couric has earned herself the title of one of the most trustworthy news sources over the years, having worked for pretty much all the biggest news stations in the business from NBC News, CBS News, and ABC News, as well as landing a role at CNN earlier on in her career. She's woken up America with everything they need to know on "Today" as well as putting them to bed up to date anchoring "CBS Evening News," plus she's brought important topics to life on shows like "60 Minutes." But now, Couric really is going there, in every sense.
In her new book, aptly titled "Going There" and released on October 26, Couric made some pretty shocking tell-all claims about her career — seemingly unmasking herself as not being quite as nice behind the scenes as many fans may believe. The outspoken book includes some pretty surprising confessions about her decades on TV screens, including tales of "sabotage" and some big talk about her interactions with fellow stars including Jennifer Aniston, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, Matt Lauer, Diane Sawyer, Martha Stewart, and Deborah Norville (via New York Post).
Well, now, some of those mentioned in Couric's memoir and a few of her co-workers are speaking out about her confessions. Read on to find out what they had to say about the bombshell and why one in particular has been left "gobsmacked."
What are people saying about Katie Couric's book?
One of the most shocking confessions in "Going There" came as Katie Couric admitted she refused to help NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield when she was starting out, calling it "self-sabotage." Speaking about the admission to New York Post, Banfield said, "Her words have really hit me hard. She was my North Star. I always looked at her as one of the most brave presenters... She was the best morning show host ever. I'm just gobsmacked." Banfield added, "I was derailed and given no explanation... It was the most painful mystery. When I heard about Katie's comments I wondered if that was the reason."
Couric also called out Prince Harry for having what she claimed was "a strong aroma of alcohol and cigarettes" that came "from [his] every pore." Harry didn't respond directly, though a friend hit back, "Recollections may vary."
As for what Couric had to say about "Today"'s Deborah Norville, Couric claimed she had "relentless perfectionism" that viewers didn't respond to. Norville shared her reaction, admitting she was "too stunned and, frankly, hurt to comment."
Equally baffled are Couric's co-workers. An unnamed senior news producer said, "Nobody can understand why Katie did [the book]. She's ruining her legacy." They also pointed out that a lot of Couric's remarks are aimed at women, borrowing one of Taylor Swift's infamous lines, "She gives fresh meaning to that old saying: 'There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women.'"