Lauer was booed by One Direction fans Monday during a promo visit on NBC’s Today show. What did Matt Lauer do to deserve such treatment?
Lauer booed by One Direction supporters, is a hot topic in the entertainment world this afternoon. English-Irish pop boy band, One Direction (1D), put out their new album Four this week, and the popular group has been everywhere promoting the project.
An appearance on NBC’s Today show Monday, quickly turned awkward when the interviewer decided to pursue an original line of questioning. It all started when the host pointed out that there was a 1D member missing.
The group usually composed of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, appeared on the program without Malik. Lauer was determined to find out why Malik was not present.
Lauer was so intrigued by the matter that he tweeted about it before the segment started. The 56-year-old TV star wrote:
“Where’s Zayn? One Direction arrives in Orlando without him. Plenty of questions, but the show goes on Today. #1DTODAY”
And when he finally got an opportunity to get some answers, he jumped right into it. He asked the young men:
“Let’s start with the obvious. Where’s Zayn?”
Payne opted to take on the question, he told Lauer:
“Yea, he’s got a tummy bug, so he’s not very well at the moment, so he couldn’t make it. We only found out this morning so we’re really sad, he is as well, that he can’t be here for our album release… It’s still going to be a great day, I’m sure.”
This response was not sufficiently clear for Lauer, who decided to take things in a whole new direction, drug addiction, Malik and Tomlinson were allegedly caught on video smoking weed in May. Lauer said:
“Liam, there’s obvious a lot of concern. A lot of fans have been tweeting overnight. There’s been a lot of action on social media about him. Is it something more serious than just a minor illness? There have been rumors of substance abuse, what’s going on?”
Payne hit right back in a cool demeanor, he stated:
“No, he’s just got a stomach bug. He’s OK. He’s just at home. He just needs to rest.”
The foursome handled the interview very well, but One Direction fans booed Lauer and took their anger to social media. Malik, who watched the whole thing unfold on television was not pleased, he revealed to U.K.’s The Sun:
“I’m really angry and upset by what was said. I was really ill at the weekend, that’s why I couldn’t fly to America.”
Styles did not leave the drama reach him, he graciously shared on Instagram:
“Thank you to @todayshow for having us this morning. You’re always very nice.”
It needs to be mentioned that Malik was also a no-show when 1D won an MTV Europe award on November 9, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Was Matt Lauer wrong for asking the question? Lauer booed by One Direction fans, what say you?
Lauer is always doing stupid things– somebody should do something about it. fire him… demote him… he is the reason the today show is losing ground with others…
I think Matt Lauer should look into medical marijuana. Trying to steer an interview into a discussion about drugs is probably not a direction any guest wants to go in unless they specifically want to. Lauer has lost his edge and is now just an regular fuddy duddy.
I think Matt should just keep his mouth shut He is always stirring things up and is very rude. I do not know why he is not been fired along time ago,
Yeah I thought it was a tacky question that shouldn’t have been asked. I mean he was trying to make a hard breaking news on a boy band in front of their fans? Just showed no class to ask that in that situation
It’s none of Matt’s business why he wasn’t there. Glenn
Ok first of all one direction are good guys and they wouldn’t do that and if they would they will still have a lot of fans, well true fans that is, we all love them no matter there choices but instead of finding out if it is true and spreading it all over the world then how about if it is true you help him, and most likely he was sick, Zayn is a good guy and he is still human stop treating him like an animal stop treating all of them like animals they are amazing people and singers and i love them WE love them forever and always a directioner!!!! P.S. people need to STOP trying to find and make up crap that isn’t true they are a good band why can’t you all except that!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????
I am a father of three and whether or not the allegations are true, I think it was in poor taste especially when the audience was made up almost entirely of children.
He really needs to go…I think he has been around too long and he feels he has a right to ask whatever he wants…definitely too full of himself.
Matt Lauer sucks, so does the TODAY show for that matter. Its all PABLUM.
and skinny Al Roker is no longer funny. I am not even gonna start with the rest of the “cast”
I forgot, Lauer is also a D-BAG.
Matt Laur always was and always will be an asshole.
Lauer went too far. He’s upset about the media coverage of Ann Curry getting fired but it’s okay for him to pursue the question he wanted answered. It appears he wasn’t satisfied with the answer he was given so he does as all investigative reporters do and that’s keep probing until he hears what he wants. If he wants to get into the investigative portion of news, I suggest he get a job with 60 minutes. Otherwise stick to brighter side of broadcasting. Although he’s really not that good at that either.
Lauer is a jerk. He doesn’t care about the truth, he is stuck on himself and just wants to sensationalize pretty much any story he is reporting or commenting on. My viewing of the Today show has dwindled mainly due to him being on the show.
Lauer is a news reporter, maybe some further research should have been done before going down that road, not everyone is hooked on drugs…but if was left up to the group to set it straight and they did…I dont know what the hubbub is about…well known people are in the limelight all the time…they deserve their privacy, but lets face it, people love scandal, that’s how half of the papers and magazines get their stories….just the least thing out of context…if the guy is on drugs, its his business and his group’s business; genuine concern is good, but give people the doubt…b
Lauer can easily ask these questions of people when there is no recourse.. Now, can Lauer ask similar questions of Barry Obama? Well of course not. Lauer is scared to death of losing his job and the pieces of silver he earns! (30 at a clip, I’ve heard!)
Although I don’t consider Matt’s questioning to be “out of line,” I do believe that Matt and the rest of the Today show program are so far behind mainstream that they should change the name of the show to Yesterday. This program seems to focus exclusively now on stories of little or no interest to anyone but maybe the staff. I believe that Matt is still a serious host and could do a better job if he weren’t being directed into the abyss of crap that Today focuses on now days. While I’m not a big fan of GMA, I am now finding it much more of a program to watch than Today.
Matt was a huge pot smoker back at Ohio University. Maybe he was thinking the kid could get him some.
Tell me what I am missing, please. If this young man has a history of addiction, and if addiction is a disease, when will it be brought out of the closet and talked about like any other disease. Does it only become a reality when other people know about it. If I were struggling with an addiction problem, the last thing I would do is bury it in the privacy of my soul, when I did not do anything worse than most young people have done, only I was just plain unlucky and became addicted, while they moved on, with little harm done. Those who find it offensive that Matt asked about his problem only perpetuated the problem by reinforcing the stigma. Ultimately, the truth always comes out, so why burden yourself clinging to your secrets.