Noam Galai/FilmMagic
Where Is Matt Lauer Now? Inside the Former Broadcaster’s Life as He Wages a ‘Comeback’
It’s been years since Matt Lauer was fired from Today and replaced by Hoda Kotb as the coanchor of the show’s early morning hours. His exit from the series ushered in the first all-female anchoring team in Today history. So what exactly is Lauer doing now?
Why Was Matt Lauer Fired From ‘Today’?
Lauer was fired from Today in November 2017 after the network received “a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior.” More allegations of sexual harassment were raised against him by former NBC staffers in the days that followed. In the aftermath of the scandal, Lauer broke his silence, releasing a statement on the matter.
“There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions,” he said at the time. “To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this, I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.”
“Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly,” the statement continued. “Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching, and I’m committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It’s been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.”
Where Is Matt Lauer Now?
Months after this Today firing, Lauer was photographed participating in a three-mile paddleboarding race at Hamptons’ Havens Beach in Sag Harbor. Sources that spotted Lauer in the Hamptons after his Today exit told In Touch that the TV star looked like he’d “aged 10 years” in just a few months.
“He just looks very, very sad. He used to be so friendly and chatty, just like he was on TV. Now he keeps his head down. You can tell he’s not really in the best place,” an employee at a local store revealed. One of Lauer’s neighbors additionally said that he was no way ready for his closeup, so to speak. “He doesn’t look like he did when he was on TV. He’s skinny … It looks like he’s aged 10 years.”
In early 2018, an insider told Page Six that Lauer “goes between sadness and acceptance of his fate, to disbelief how it all happened so quickly and how the situation was so out of his control.” Another source said, “Matt is still feeling a lot of shame but he is angry because he certainly wasn’t the only person on TV doing this, but he has taken the fall.”
Lauer has continued to keep a low profile and stays mostly out of the spotlight. “Matt has no intention [of] returning to public life. He plans to disappear and play golf,” a source told Page Six in December 2017. “He wants to be a regular Joe. To play golf and stay in the Hamptons.”
Is Matt Lauer Married?
Lauer’s two-decade marriage to Annette Roque ended after his Today firing. The Dutch model left NYC after her husband’s scandal broke and traveled to her native Holland to spend time with family and friends. “She’s taken off her wedding ring and has been living the high life in Europe,” an insider told Closer in February 2018. “She’s acting like a woman who has already moved on from a hellish marriage. Seeing her family and friends convinced her she was better off without him. After all she’s been through, the nights of crying herself to sleep and trying to divorce him years ago, it was still one of the hardest things she’s ever done.”
Roque filed for divorce from the newscaster in July 2019. Their divorce was finalized in September 2019 after more than 20 years of marriage. The former couple share three children: Jack, Romy and Thijs.
In December 2019, Lauer was photographed vacationing with his girlfriend, Shamin Abas. The pair were friends for many years before their relationship turned romantic. In December 2023, they proved they were still going strong when they arrived hand in hand at the wedding of Today producer Jennifer Long and Reid Sterrett. They made an appearance yet again at the wedding of Don Lemon and Tim Malone in April 2024.
Does Matt Lauer Want to Return to TV News?
Years after he left television news in disgrace, Lauer is reportedly looking for a comeback. An insider told Us Weekly in April 2024 that not only is the former Today host eyeing his way back into the TV landscape, but he is seeking an apology from those who he perceived wronged him.
“He’s started to talk to people. He’s planning his next act, still very upset with how he was portrayed, and still feels like he was the victim,” the source said. “He wants to be relevant again; what that is exactly is yet to be decided.”
