Ann Curry 'Today' Show Co-Host May Get $10 Million Payout This Week
Ann Curry returned Monday to the "Today" show amid rumors that she is negotiating her departure with NBC for $10 million.
The network could give Curry a $10 million payout this week, according to a report Monday from the New York Post. The same figure was first reported by Celebrities' site TMZ.com, citing anonymous sources familiar with the negotiations.
Curry was in the midst of a three-year $20 million contract that guaranteed her $10 million in her final year, according to both reports.
The news that the veteran journalist was exiting the popular show broke last Wednesday when the New York Times published a story saying NBC was cutting her lose after a slump in the ratings against rival "Good Morning America."
Curry has been silent about the rumors but in an interview with the Ladies' Home Journal August issue, she admitted that she was worried about her performance on the show.
"It's hard not to take it personally. You worry, Am I not good enough? Am I not what people need? Am I asking the right questions?" she said.
"When people say negative things or speculate, you can't help but feel hurt. I know NBC pays my salary but I have never doubted who I work for. I think about the people who watch. They're the ones who matter to me. I want to feel I haven't dropped the ball when it comes to them," she added.
She further commented about her future in the show.
"I've been at Today for 15 years and I'd love to make it to 20," she told the magazine.
Various reports say Curry will most likely become a foreign correspondent for NBC News and be replaced by Savannah Guthrie on "Today."
