Tom Brokaw gets support from 64 women after being accused of sexual harassment

Tom Brokaw is the latest man to be accused of sexual harassment. This time, there are at least 64 women offering him their support in a new letter.

The world we live in is changing. In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the emergence of the Me Too era, more people are stepping forward and sharing their stories.

It seems there is a new story every day of some famous man crossing a line or having misbehaved at some time in the past. Yet, it is rare to hear stories of people defending the accused. However, it seems that a new accusation against someone who seemed to be above reproach has actually inspired more than 64 women to speak up.

On April 26, news broke that veteran journalist Tom Brokaw had been accused of sexual harassment by two women. According to a report that was published in The Washington Post, a woman by the name of Linda Vester, who at one point worked at NBC as a correspondent, accused Brokaw of making inappropriate advances toward her more than 20 years ago. Although Vester was not the only woman to apparently accuse Brokaw, the second woman chose to remain anonymous.

Following the allegations being published, the journalist issued a statement in which he denies the allegations against himself. Brokaw even went so far as to explain his interactions with Linda Vester, calling the meetings “brief, cordial and appropriate.” As People reported in their own story on the accusations, Brokaw made it clear that there was nothing inappropriate during their initial meeting or any of the other times that he interacted with Vester.

In this post-Weinstein era, it is common for one accusation to be followed by many more. In Brokaw’s case, there has been an outpour of support versus further allegations. More than 64 women who know and worked with Brokaw have stepped forward to support him.

In a follow-up to People‘s initial report about the allegations, the magazine has revealed that a letter has begun circulating in which 64 women, including Maria Shriver and Rachel Maddow, have lent their support to Brokaw. The women make it clear in their letter that they fully support the Me Too movement and the conversation surrounding sexual harassment. Additionally, they touch on what they believe is an “abuse of power in the workplace.” Still, they felt it was necessary to speak up with their own perspective on who Brokaw is as a coworker.

The letter encompasses women from all different fields who have worked with the veteran journalist. Among the names on the list were producers, researchers, directors, personal assistants, anchors, and many others who have interacted with Brokaw over the course of his more than 40 years in the industry and with NBC.

In their own joint statement, the women shared that Brokaw has always treated them “with fairness and respect.” They added how he has championed their successes and offered his counsel when he could. The letter concluded by saying that they know Brokaw, “to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity.”

Brokaw shared his own rebuttal over the accusations via an email sent to NBC colleagues, writing:

"I am angry, hurt and unmoored from what I thought would be the final passage of my life and career, a mix of written and broadcast journalism, philanthropy and participation in environmental and social causes that have always given extra meaning to my life.Instead I am facing a long list of grievances from a former colleague who left NBC News angry that she had failed in her pursuit of stardom. She has unleashed a torrent of unsubstantiated criticism and attacks on me more than twenty years after I opened the door for her and a new job at Fox news."

The Hollywood Reporter published the email in full here.

Linda Vester’s attorney has said that his client still stands behind what she has said about the journalist. In fact, they feel that the allegations “speak for themselves.”

Whether or not these allegations against Brokaw are true, it is apparent that the journalist has made a positive impression on many of the women he has worked with over the years. With so many women stepping forward to share their support, it feels as if this particular situation might not be nearly as cut-and-dry as so many previous accusations against famous men have been.

Related Story: Why would anyone make a #MeToo atonement series with Charlie Rose?

Brokaw is currently a Special Correspondent for NBC News and has overseen the NBC Nightly News anchor desk for 22 years.

Vester has shared her accusations with Variety and The Washington Post. She claims Brokaw groped her in an NBC conference room and uninvitedly came to her hotel room. Vester joined NBC News in 1989. She reported from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on the first Gulf War, and later landed a position on NBC’s “Weekend Today.”