Apparently, NBC executive had been getting complaints for a while about Matt Lauer’s inappropriate behavior, but chose to protect him.

“Everybody at NBC knew about Matt Lauer’s sexually inappropriate behavior — and knew not to talk about it,” a current “Today” show staffer said to The Post. “Women did complain about his behavior, and there were a lot of closed-door meetings before it was all brushed under the carpet.”

Another source said, “Some women did report it and were scared at the repercussions it would have on their careers. They complained, and nothing was done.”

“Matt’s sexual conquests were general office fodder,” a staffer said. “There was constant innuendo in the office about which woman had just had sex with Matt and which one would be next.”

A former “Today” staffer added, “For Matt, some women on the show were just a one-time thing, and he never spoke to them again. Other women he had affairs with. And others he just picked up and disposed of when he felt like it. The most horrible thing was that he made it clear that if they ever spoke out or crossed him, they would be fired from the show, negative stories leaked about them, and their careers would be destroyed. So it is insulting to see the pretend shock on the faces of the people at ‘Today’ after Lauer was fired. This is just theatrics.”