Disgraced Today anchor Matt Lauer was booted from the NBC morning show in November 2017,
after he was accused of gross sexual misconduct.
For the most part, he's been out of the spotlight ever since.
Now, he's facing new, serious allegations of sexual malfeasance — and he's hitting
back with a response of his own.
Brooke Nevils, the NBC News employee whose sexual harassment complaint led to the firing
of Lauer, says she was assaulted by the former anchor, according to investigative journalist
Ronan Farrow's new book Catch and Kill.
In excerpts from the book obtained by Variety, Nevils and Farrow allege graphic and horrific
details of her encounter with Lauer, which Nevils says left her both physically and emotionally
traumatized.
In response to the bombshell allegations, NBC News released the following statement
on-air:
"Matt Lauer's conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time.
That's why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint."
Today co-host Savannah Guthrie was clearly emotional when addressing the new allegations.
"You know, this is shocking and appalling, and I honestly don't even know what to say
about it.”
In a letter penned on October 9th, 2019, Lauer categorically denied the allegations, calling
his sexual encounter with Nevils a, quote, "completely consensual" extramarital affair.
Dismissing the claims as being part of a promotional effort to sell a book, Lauer wrote that Nevils'
story, quote, "ignores the facts and defies common sense."
He went even further, calling out other women for having sexual affairs with him, as well.
He wrote,
"For two years, the women with whom I had extramarital relationships have abandoned
shared responsibility, and instead, shielded themselves from blame behind false allegations,
and I will no longer provide them the shelter of my silence."
The new accusations come following rumors that Lauer would be attempting to stage a
media comeback at some time in the future.
In August 2018, he was reported by Page Six to have cheerily told a group of fans who
missed him,
"Don't worry, I'll be back on TV."
It was rumored that Lauer was networking with his former colleagues in an effort to stage
a comeback.
The same outlet also reported two months prior that Lauer was spotted dining with veteran
Today producer Deborah Kosofsky.
On top of that, a source told Radar Online that Lauer was planning to capitalize on some
impending changes coming to NBC by pilfering staff from Today for a comeback project in
an effort to exact revenge on everyone who ousted him.
The insider told the outlet,
"Once [management changes at NBC News happen], Matt will have his chance to redeem himself
on-air and have his revenge on those who looped him with the #MeToo era's worst scoundrels."
Sources also told Radar that since Megyn Kelly was fired from NBC, she's also reached out
to Lauer about doing a new morning show together, in an effort to go head-to-head with the show
that spurned them both.
When it comes to Lauer's mysterious future plans, Kelly remarked to Us Weekly,
"I know too much that others don't know."
Although he hasn't appeared on television since 2017, Matt Lauer made a bunch of cameos
in 2019 on Romy Lauer's TikTok videos.
That's right, the disgraced Today anchor is now an inadvertent social media star in what
the Los Angeles Times described as, quote, "full goofy-dad mode."
In the trio of short clips obtained by the publication, Matt dances to "Hot Shower" by
Chance the Rapper, sings along with Romy to "Big Fun" from "Heathers: The Musical," and
does Avengers villain Thanos' deadly snap.
As expected, Romy's comment section was filled with users bringing up the allegations against
her father.
Per Yahoo!
Entertainment, Romy defended her father, telling one user that they were spreading, quote,
"stories not facts."
But they're stories that aren't going away, no matter how much Lauer might want them to.
A source told ET in 2018,
"Matt seems to be under the impression that if he waits this news cycle out, this will
go away and he can have a comeback.
He has seen a lot of people come back and hopes he will too.
For right now, his friends feel that isn't realistic.
His team has discussed a public apology, but agreed disappearing right now seems to be
for the best."
As of October 2019, that no longer seems to be the case.
A month before finalizing his divorce from Annette Roque in September 2019, Lauer was
spotted with his now ex-wife at the Hampton Classic Horse Show supporting their daughter,
Romy.
ET reports that although the pair arrived separately, they appeared to act friendly
to each other during the two-hour event.
Lauer might also be looking to make a move away from his long-time Hamptons enclave.
In 2018, he listed his six-bedroom Hamptons mansion for $12.75 million.
A year later, he was trying to unload his other Hamptons mansion, located in the beach
community of Peconic Bay, for $44 million.
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