Former NBC Anchor Tom Brokaw Latest Accused Of Sexual Harassment
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Two women -- including a network correspondent -- have come forward to accuse former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw of unwanted advances and sexual harassment.
Both women allege that Brokaw sexually harassed them in the 1990s.
Former correspondent Linda Vester said she was coming forward now so that no other woman has to go through what she did.
Brokaw, of course, is a legendary broadcaster and journalist -- a marquee name for NBC News.
"I was deeply traumatized by being groped and assaulted by Tom Brokaw," said Vester in a series of interviews with Variety.
She says Brokaw touched her inappropriately, came to her hotel room uninvited and tried to force her to kiss him two separate times.
"At this point I'm shaking, and I said 'what do you want from me?' and he had his arm back like this and said 'an affair of more than passing affection,'" she said.
Vester was 28 at the time of the alleged incident and says she did not report Brokaw's conduct to NBC or the police because she was afraid it would end her career.
She left the network in 1999.
"I still suffered years of humiliation, isolation and shame," she said.
In a statement to the Washington Post, Brokaw said, in part, "the meetings were brief, cordial and appropriate. And despite Linda's allegations, I made no romantic overtures toward her at that time or anywhere."
Another woman, who chooses to be anonymous that when she was a 24-year-old production assistant in the mid 90s, Brokaw pressed her hands against his chest and asked her to come to his office after his show that evening. She declined.
"I would be interested to see if other women come out against him. that's typically the next thing that happens," said attorney Lisa Bloom who has represented many women in high-profile sexual harassment cases against powerful men, including Bill Cosby.
Bloom says Vester's allegations are credible.
"She's not asking for any money or anything. she's just telling her story, and I think that gives her a lot of credibility," Bloom said.
The accusations against Brokaw come just months after the firing of former "Today" host Matt Lauer amid allegations of his own sexual misconduct.
While Brokaw is no longer in the anchor chair, he often contributes to NBC News coverage, most recently last Saturday for Barbara Bush's funeral.
So far, the network has had no comment.