Matt Lauer rape accuser blasts his open letter as a 'case study in victim blaming'

The woman accusing Matt Lauer of rape is hitting back against his new statement, blasting it as a "case study in victim blaming."

In a new book by Ronan Farrow, the former NBC News employee whose complaint led to Lauer's firing in 2017 speaks out about her allegation for the first time. Brooke Nevils, whose name had not been previously disclosed, alleges Lauer raped her at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Lauer, who has rarely spoken publicly since his firing, issued a lengthy statement Wednesday denying Nevils' allegation and maintaining that they had a "consensual" affair. "There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter," Lauer in his open letter. "Brooke did not do or say anything to object. She certainly did not cry. She was a fully enthusiastic and willing partner."

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Now, Nevils, who told Farrow she "was too drunk to consent" and "said, multiple times, that I didn't want to have anal sex," is firing back.

"His open letter was a case study in victim blaming," Nevils says in a new statement, per NBC News. "... I am not afraid of him now, regardless of his threats, bullying, and the shaming and predatory tactics I knew he would (and now has) tried to use against me."

Nevils also writes that "there's the Matt Lauer that millions of Americans watched on TV every morning for two decades, and there is the Matt Lauer who this morning attempted to bully a former colleague into silence."

Since coming forward, Nevils has received the support of Ann Curry, who worked with Lauer on Today. "Brooke Nevils is a credible young woman of good character," Curry tweeted Wednesday. "She came to NBC News an eager and guileless 20-something, brimming with talent. I believe she is telling the truth. And that breaks my heart."