It seems as if every day there is a new sexual accusation against a male celebrity as women are coming out of the woodworks to share their #metoo stories. The latest of these is targeted toward Tom Brokaw, the well known special correspondent for NBC News. The 78-year-old news anchor was accused of making unwanted sexual advances to two women, however; he denied them in a letter he sent to colleagues and friends.
Following the release of the letter, a third woman came forward, accusing him of making unwanted advances. These advances date back to 1968 when Mary Reinholz accused him of making a pass at her while he was visiting her at her home in Laurel Canyon. According to Reinholz, Brokaw had driven his motor scooter over to her house and while they were sitting on the couch, he made his move.
Recently, the news anchor was spotted looking disheveled leaving the NBC offices. We can only assume from the stress of these accusations.
He looks unrecognizable even from just a few years ago. This was Tom Brokaw in 2013.
And the accusations keep getting more specific.
“We talked and then, abruptly, he was embracing me and giving me a French kiss,” said Reinholz. “I pulled away, reminding him that he was married and a tryst was out of the question. He said, “Yes, it would be unfair to Meredith,” meaning his wife.”
The two had been connected at the time because Brokaw was working as a news anchor for KNBC Los Angeles and Reinholz was a writer for the Los Angeles Free Press. They had met at one of the many press conferences they attended in the city and Reinholz had reached out to him for assistance with obtaining a police report.
“I don’t recall much else about the episode, and shrugged it off as progressive women of my generation were wont to do,” said Reinholz. “After all, we were overthrowing the sedate 1950s and its dictates that good girls should never engage in premarital sex. I had been married but wasn’t interested in Brokaw as a sex partner and the situation made me uncomfortable.”
While Reinholz and Brokaw were in contact a handful of time over the years since the episode, they had not seen each other or spoken over the phone for over 40 years.
When asked why she waited so long to share her story, Reinholz shared the following…
“I wouldn’t be writing this account if it wasn’t for the #MeToo movement and Brokaw’s disparaging remarks about Linda Vester, a former NBC News reporter and war correspondent who accused him of groping and kissing her on two occasions and arriving at her hotel uninvited,” she said. “Why would the two women lie?”
Former war correspondent, Linda Vester, came forward and accused Brokaw of trying to forcibly kiss her on two occasions in 1994 and 1995 when he was the network’s star anchor and 26 years older than her.
According to Brokaw, the meetings were brief, cordial and appropriate, and he made no romantic overtures toward her at that time or any other.
The other accusation was made by an anonymous woman who was 24 at the time of the advance. While she was working as a production assistant Brokaw allegedly took her hands, placed them on his chest and asked her to meet him in his office later that night.