Willie Geist Says Former ‘Today’ Co-Star Matt Lauer Is as “Good as He Can Be” After Firing

Former Today star Matt Lauer has been through a lot since his abrupt Today firing following sexual harassment allegations, so it’s nice that he still has a friend in Willie Geist. The NBC morning talk show star has revealed to Entertainment Tonight that he’s still in touch with Matt!

“I’ve texted with him just on a personal level,” he said. “It was his birthday the other day, his 60th birthday.” As far as how Matt is feeling since the unfortunate series of events, Willie says he’s “as good as he can be.” He added, “He’s sort of reconnecting with his family and figuring everything out.”

Many thought Willie would take Matt’s place next to Savannah Guthrie, but that wasn’t the case, and Willie seems fine with that! “I do my Sunday Today show. I do Morning Joe, which I love, during the week, so I get into the politics of it all,” he told the news outlet. “And I’m there all week this week with the gang, so I’m not too far.”

It’s so nice to see how supportive Willie is of all his co-stars, especially Hoda Kotb, who ended up getting the seat next to Savannah. “They’re both my honest-to-goodness friends. I’m so happy for Hoda,” Willie confessed. “They’re kickin’ butt. They won the week again last week. I think they’ve won every week since they’ve started. You can’t not be happy for Hoda. She’s such a genuine, loving, feeling, energetic person. She deserves it, and it’s good for everybody.” So sweet!

And Hoda and Savannah have had great chemistry since Matt’s exit. “They’ve not only held things together since Matt’s firing but done great work together,” an insider shared with Life & Style. “They’ve always loved each other, but Savannah and Hoda are spending more time talking when the cameras aren’t rolling than they ever have. Matt’s downfall has forged a deeper friendship between the two.”