Hota Kotb Says Brian Williams 'Devastated' Over NBC Suspension

Television personality Brian Williams arrives at the Time 100 Gala in New York, April 24, 2012. | (Photo: Reuters/Lucas Jackson)

NBC host Hoda Kotb has spoken out regarding the recent controversy of fellow NBC host Brian Williams, saying the newscaster is "devastated" after being suspended for six months for fabricating a story from the Iraq War.

Williams, host of "NBC Nightly News," was suspended from the network for six months without pay this week after he admitted to exaggerating a story from the Iraq War. Williams had previously claimed that he was travelling in a Chinook helicopter when it was struck by enemy fire, but then admitted to the Stars and Stripes publication that he had "misremembered" the events, and had not been in the helicopter that had been struck.

"This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian's position," Deborah Turness, the president of NBC News, said in a memo distributed to media outlets.

Hoda Kotb, host of NBC's "Today" show's fourth hour, said in a recent interview with Fox News that Williams is devastated over his suspension from the news network. 

"I love Brian," Kotb told Fox while attending the Woman's Day Red Dress Awards in NYC. "I've known him for many years and I know that he is devastated after what happened."

"I think the whole news organization feels horrible about what happened," Kotb added to the outlet earlier this week. "We're sort of going to let NBC deal with it. It is a news organization and it's important to all of us and we're going to see what they do next."

Williams is also reportedly being investigated by NBC regarding his reporting on Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans back in 2005.