NBC’s “Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams announced Saturday that he will be taking “several days” off from the broadcast.
This announcement comes days after Williams admitted to falsely reporting he rode in a helicopter that came under enemy fire in Iraq in 2003.
“In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions,” Williams said in a note to NBC News staff, obtained by Access Hollywood.
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Williams’ statement also named Lester Holt as the anchor who will temporarily fill his vacant seat as a substitute, but maintained that he does not plan to step down for good.
“As Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue,” Williams’ statement noted. “Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us.”
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According to the Associated Press, NBC News President Deborah Turness announced in an internal memo on Friday that an investigation of the matter had been launched.
“As you would expect, we have a team dedicated to gathering the facts to help us make sense of all that has transpired,” Turness said. “We’re working on what the best next steps are.”
NBC’s Richard Esposito was assigned to lead the investigation, according to the AP.
Williams’ reporting on Hurricane Katrina has also been called in to question, in which he claimed to have seen a body or bodies floating in the French Quarter.
— Paige Feigenbaum
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