Last week, two women shared allegations of sexual harassment by former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw with The Washington Post.
While Brokaw himself has denied the accusations, explicitly noting that at least one of the interactions was “brief, cordial and appropriate,” dozens of women in media have now come forward in support of the legendary newsman.
These female journalists, originally numbering 64 in total, have signed a public letter first published by The Hollywood Reporter, calling Brokaw “a man of tremendous decency and integrity.”
The women note that while they “fully endorse the conversation around abuse of power in the workplace,” they would like to share their own experiences of working with Brokaw.
They write, “Tom has treated each of us with fairness and respect. He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers.”
“As we have advanced across industries — news, publishing, law, business and government,” they continue, “Tom has been a valued source of counsel and support. We know him to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity.”
The initial signees included Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell and Maria Shriver. Since the letter was sent on Friday, Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, added her own support by Twitter, writing, “Add me to the list.” More than 50 other women have since signed on, totaling 115 names, according to CNNMoney.