NBC suspended Nightly News anchor Brian Williams for six months without pay Tuesday. This news comes just one week after he admitted to lying about coming under fire while riding in a helicopter during the Iraq war.

NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a memo that Williams was notified of his suspension on Tuesday and that the network is continuing their investigation on him. She said that Williams’ misrepresentation of events was “completely inappropriate” for someone in an anchor position. She added that the suspension is “effective immediately.”

NBC Universal Chief Executive Officer Steve Burke said in a statement within the memo to the NBC staff that Williams “jeopardized the trust” of millions of American viewers. He noted that Williams’ actions are “inexcusable” and he called the suspension “appropriate” and “severe.” The memo also stated that Lester Holt, the weekend Nightly News anchor, will continue to fill in for Williams.

The 55-year-old removed himself from the program voluntarily over the weekend. He also backed out of his scheduled appearance on David Letterman’s Late Night Show this Thursday.

He has since apologized for his false story, and was heavily mocked, and claimed that his fear clouded his recollection of the story. An interview with the Stars and Stripes newspaper was published Monday and dove deeper into the details of the anchor’s recollection of the false story. He told the newspaper that his experience was “like landing on the surface of the moon” and that his recollection would differ greatly from “the professionals.”

He added that he “assumed” he was on one of several helicopters that was actually damaged by fire. He claimed that he was unaware what “screwed up in his mind” that made him think he was on an aircraft that was under fire. He said that he remembered three aircrafts going down and his was “one of them.”

Williams told the story while interviewing veteran Tim Terpak. He told Stars and Stripes that he was “very frustrated” his story would ruin his attempt at honoring Terpak.