Joan Lunden details alleged workplace harassment in new memoir: ‘Sleep with me'

Former Good Morning America anchor Joan Lunden has revealed an explosive workplace harassment incident in her bombshell new memoir, JOAN: Life Beyond the Script.

The 74-year-old veteran journalist-author’s revelations, from the time when she used to co-anchor the weekend newscasts at New York’s WABC-TV Eyewitness News, took the internet by storm. She said that her boss, Ted (identified pseudonymously in the book), pressured her to sleep with him.

Lunden said Ted invited her to Fire Island for a team get-together; however, there were only four people, including a WCBS reporter and his girlfriend.

The co-host of ABC's Good Morning America from 1980 to 1997 said Ted pressured her to share a bed with him but she refused, recalling, “I spent the uncomfortable night on the sofa in the living room.”

Lunden wrote that Ted did not take the rejection well and began punishing her by killing her stories. It was a time when reporters were paid base salary plus per-story broadcast fee.

She added that the incident also dealt a blow to her reputation as rumours started swirling about her visit to Fire Island with her superior.

Lunden eventually had enough and confronted Ted, threatening to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against him and the channel. She said, “The threat worked. His behaviour stopped.”

The veteran journalist concluded the story, writing, “I hope he’s reading this.”

Despite facing an unfortunate incident early in her career, Lunden had a decorated media career. She became one of the longest-running female co-hosts in Good Morning America. Lunden is an award-winning author and has published over ten books.