Matt Lauer became a regular news anchor on Today in 1994 and served as co-host from 1997 until his
firing in 2017 after sexual harassment allegations. Here are some lesser-known
details about Lauer, from both before and after his termination from the network.
Many people need to explore multiple paths before finding their life's calling. Matt Lauer
wasn't one of them. In 1980, only a year out of college, he became the host of PM Magazine,
a nationally-syndicated news and entertainment show.
"And I'm Matt Lauer inviting you to join us for PM Magazine at a brand new time."
He continued to host PM Magazine until 1986. Lauer had already made admirable
progress as a young broadcaster, but it was his decision to move to New York
City in 1989 that set him up for national stardom. Lauer told Ohio University Today,
"It just seemed that once I left OU, it was almost like a steamroller started,
and then it was difficult to stop that steamroller."
He took on-air positions with several local shows, including Today in New York and Live at Five.
His work on both shows, which aired on New York's NBC affiliate WNBC, caught the eye of the
network's national news team, and Lauer soon made his debut on Today as a substitute newsreader and
co-anchor. Besides rising to his longtime position as co-host on Today, he covered the 2010 Winter
Olympics in Vancouver for NBC as well as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. As People noted,
his time in Sochi would play a pivotal role in the scandal that would end his career.
While Matt Lauer had always aimed for a career in television — and ultimately succeeded in
reaching the top ranks of his profession — his trajectory was not without its rough spots. In
1991, he was fired from his position as host of an interview show in New York,
according to Ohio University Today, and, in the year to come,
only managed to pick up part-time work with HBO. Working only two days a week was neither
satisfying nor financially sustainable, and Lauer knew something had to change.
One day, in desperation, he called the "help wanted" number on the back of
a tree-trimming truck. He waited by the phone for their response.
But when the phone rang a few hours later, it was not the tree trimmer,
but a representative from WNBC — and this set him on the path that ultimately led him to Today.
When the allegations against Matt Lauer came to light, NBC moved quickly. As People reported,
attorneys for an NBC employee filed a formal complaint against Lauer on the evening of Monday,
November 27, 2017. The next day, after a brief internal investigation,
NBC decided to fire him — and informed Lauer that evening.
But it wasn't until the morning of November 29 that his former Today colleagues got the news.
On that day's show, co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb
broke the news of Lauer's firing, looking just as shocked and shaken
as their audience. Appearing to hold back tears, Guthrie said,
"We just learned this moments ago, just this morning.
As I'm sure you can imagine, we are devastated."
She then posed the question many of Lauer's friends and
colleagues would "grapple with" in the days and weeks to come:
"How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they
have behaved badly? And I don't know the answer to that."
Matt Lauer's sudden fall from grace didn't end with his firing.
In his memo to staff announcing Lauer's dismissal, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack
wrote that Lauer was fired because of a detailed complaint from a colleague about, quote,
"inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace." However, Lack also added in the statement:
"[W]e were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
Disturbing revelations from other women in the days to come appeared to confirm
Lack's suspicions. An investigation from Variety revealed that several other women
employed by NBC asserted that Lauer had made inappropriate advances toward them,
which included giving one a sex toy with, quote, "an explicit note."
The women, who asked to stay anonymous, told Variety that
they had complained to higher-ups at NBC about Lauer's behavior but were ignored.
It was only in light of the latest, most serious allegations — coming
in the wake of the #MeToo movement— that his earlier accusers were taken seriously.
In the days following Matt Lauer's firing, he found an unlikely champion and defender:
his ex-wife, Nancy Alspaugh, to whom Lauer was married from 1981 to 1988, according
to Entertainment Tonight. Shortly after Lauer's firing was announced, Alspaugh told the outlet:
"I never saw him as a power monger or somebody who would abuse his position in any way."
Alspaugh remained on friendly terms with Lauer after their divorce,
even befriending his second wife and their children. She told Entertainment Tonight that,
before Lauer's firing, she called Lauer to warn him about a reporter
who had contacted her with questions about the allegations. Alspaugh said,
"He thanked me for the call, and he said of course none of it was true."
Her endorsement of her ex-husband's character was clear. Alspaugh told Entertainment Tonight,
"I want to get out the fact that he made a contribution to my nonprofit,
that he helped me when my husband died. He would give you the shirt
off his back if you really needed it. He did that for everybody."
When the allegations against Matt Lauer first came to light, his accuser chose to remain
anonymous. In addition, NBC was vague about the nature of the allegations,
only saying they involved inappropriate sexual behavior
and were serious enough to merit Lauer's dismissal, according to People.
But, naturally, both investigative reporters and the public were curious to learn more.
In time, more details emerged and cast Lauer in an even more damning light. As Variety reported,
nearly two years after Lauer's firing, Ronan Farrow's book Catch and Kill was released,
revealing not only Lauer's accuser's identity, with her permission,
but also her claim that he had sexually assaulted her in his hotel room during the Sochi Olympics,
where both were covering the Games for NBC. Lauer vigorously denied
the allegations. In an open letter to Variety, Lauer said through his attorneys,
"In a new book, it is alleged that an extramarital, but consensual, sexual
encounter I have previously admitted having, was in fact an assault. It is categorically false,
ignores the facts, and defies common sense."
While Matt Lauer consistently denied the allegations against him,
he was forced to admit one undeniable and ugly truth: He had been unfaithful.
According to People, Lauer's infidelity was an open secret at NBC. A source told People,
"Everyone on staff knew he cheated regularly on his wife."
It's probably no coincidence that his marriage to former model Annette Roque was rumored to
be rocky. But, while Roque filed for divorce in 2006, she later backed out,
and, in 2010, she and Lauer jointly denied they were separating, according to People.
While Lauer's affairs were well known, the allegations of sexual misconduct against
him still came as a shock to his former colleagues. As one NBC staffer told People,
"He regularly cheated on his wife. Everyone knew. His wife lives in the
Hamptons and he lives in the city, but we never heard he made unwanted moves."
Another former Today team member concurred. The former Today staff member told People
that Lauer's infidelity, quote, "wasn't a secret," but that his sexual misconduct was a
"shock." The source went on to tell People,
"[Matt Lauer] was friendly and approachable with everyone, and was very well-liked."
Still, Lauer knew some of his behavior toward women caused a world of hurt.
In a written statement to NBC read on air by his former Today colleagues, Lauer wrote,
"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."
In the days following his firing, Matt Lauer kept to himself. While
he issued a written public apology to his former colleagues at NBC,
he chose to stay silent as more detailed accusations against him were revealed in
order to protect his children. Lauer wrote in a written statement two years after his firing,
"Despite my desire to set the record straight and confront the individuals making false allegations,
I wanted nothing less than to create more headlines my kids would read."
In the same statement, however, he added that his initial silence had been a mistake, writing.
"Today, nearly two years after I was fired by NBC,
old stories are being recycled, titillating details are being added, and a dangerous and
defamatory new allegation is being made. It is now with [my children's] full support I say 'enough.'"
Despite his open infidelity, Matt Lauer was willing to fight to save
his marriage to Annette Roque, according to People. A source told the outlet,
"He doesn't want a divorce. Both of them, their first thought is their children."
But the aftermath of his firing and the growing list of allegations of sexual misconduct dealt a
fatal blow to their already-wounded relationship. Shortly after Lauer's firing, the couple had
stopped wearing their wedding rings and separated. Their divorce was finalized in September 2019.
But, as People noted, the couple's relationship — which started with a blind
date — had never been easy. A former colleague of Lauer's told the publication that their marriage,
quote, "was never good" and that Roque knew of — and disapproved of — Lauer's
serial philandering even before they were married. And Lauer himself admitted there
had been problems, even as he tried to play them down. Lauer told People,
"Have we had a completely perfect, easy marriage? No.
But the stories you've read over the years are not true. I don't
think we're any different than any married couple that's been together for 12 years."
As of 2021, however, Lauer has a new girlfriend, a former acquaintance of his.
When Matt Lauer was fired from Today, he lost more than just a high-profile job
and a golden reputation — he also lost a huge paycheck. According to The Hollywood Reporter,
he had signed a two-year contract for $20 million with the network in 2016, and,
according to Celebrity Net Worth, was at one point the highest-paid person on television. At the peak
of his career, it's estimated that Lauer's net worth was between $120 and $150 million.
But the scandal that ended his career also hit him in his wallet. Retreating from public life — and,
likely, from sad memories — Lauer sold his Manhattan apartment for $8 million, according
to the Observer. As Page Six noted, this was where Lauer stayed during the week while taping
Today — and where NBC News Chairman Andy Lack visited him in person to tell him he'd been fired.
His long-rocky marriage ended in 2019, with Lauer paying his former wife, Annette Roque,
a $20 million divorce settlement and giving her one of their properties,
a small horse farm in the Hamptons, according to Town & Country. But,
despite the financial and personal turmoil in his life, Lauer is still living pretty
comfortably. Celebrity Net Worth lists his current net worth as $80 million.
Despite the turmoil in his domestic life, Matt Lauer has remained fiercely dedicated to his
children. In a 2015 Facebook chat, he revealed that his kids keep him grounded, writing,
"To be honest, I'm not famous at home. I'm just Papa."
And, like many parents, he finds work-life balance a challenge. Lauer said,
"There are times when the schedule of this job interferes with things I want to be a part of at
home. I have understanding bosses who let me take time for family events when I need it."
His children have also experienced all the ups and downs of their father's career.
While he was on Today, Lauer's children sometimes tagged along on
days when one of their favorite artists was performing. Lauer said in a Facebook chat,
"I was a very popular dad when Ariana Grande was on the show."
Sadly, they also had to live with the blow from Lauer's firing and
their parents' subsequent separation and divorce, according to Us Weekly. Luckily,
both parents remained united in their support of their kids. Entertainment Tonight reported
that Lauer and his ex were seen together cheering their daughter on at a horse show,
and Lauer has even appeared in his daughter's TikTok videos.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help
is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website
or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).