Who is Linda Vester, the Ex-NBC Anchor Who Accused Tom Brokaw of Sexual Harassment?
The list of media men accused of sexual harassment has just added a new member: Tom Brokaw.
The legendary NBC anchor has been accused by a former anchor at the network, Linda Vester, of having harassed her starting 23 years ago, according to interviews with The Washington Post and Variety. The allegations include three instances of grabbing and attempted kissing by Brokaw.
But who is Vester?
Vester was first hired by NBC in 1989 to be trained as a foreign correspondent after completing work in the Middle East as a Fulbright scholar. Following her acceptance of the job, she was deployed three times to the Middle East, covering the Gulf War from Gaza where she was a natural fit, having already reported there previously as a freelancer for CBS. Vester was also assigned twice by NBC to cover stories in Africa.
In 1993, after returning from abroad, she worked for both NBC and the network’s affiliates before being promoted as a correspondent for The Weekend Today at age 28, making her among the youngest people to hold the position.
Around that same time, she had the first of her three encounters with Brokaw, but decided to keep it quiet, knowing it could impact her work after she’d just received a full-time job, Vester decided to keep quiet.
But the harassment escalated in 1994, Vester told Variety, recalling a night when Brokaw allegedly showed up at her flat, declaring he wanted to have an affair just before attempting to force her to kiss him.
The following year in 1995, Vester had moved to London, still holding her correspondent position when the third instance of assault occurred, according to Variety.
Having kept the stories private, Vester left NBC in 1999 to join Fox News where she became the host of Dayside until 2005 when she left TV to focus on raising her children.
In an NBC issued statement, Brokaw denied the claims.
“I met with Linda Vester on two occasions, both at her request, 23 years ago, because she wanted advice with respect to her career at NBC,” he said. “The meetings were brief, cordial and appropriate, and despite Linda’s allegations, I made no romantic overtures towards her, at that time or any other.”
Now, years later, Vester has finally come forward amid the #MeToo movement which has been defined in part by women who’ve spoken out against those by whom they’ve been harassed and assaulted.
[Image via screengrab]
