Megyn Kelly on Matt Lauer: I Know ALL His Skeletons!

Megyn Kelly has made it very clear that she thinks Brett Kavanaugh is innocent.

The embattled Supreme Court nominee has said so himself, after all.

But Matt Lauer, however?

Kelly isn’t about to let her fellow journalist off the hook that easily.

Lauer, of course, was dismissed by NBC close to a year ago after multiple accusations of sexual misconduct were made about him.

The firing was swift and shocking, with executives arriving at their decision not long ater learing of one complaint; telling the public they presumed many more were out there; and letting Lauer go from his post as main Today Show anchor after many years on the job as a result.

Just a few months later, Kelly came on board NBC.

She made the move after a polarizing and popular stint at Fox News and now hosts her very own (low-rated) hour of Today.

So these reporters, both controversial for very different reasons, have been like two ships crossing in the daytime television night. Or something to that effect.

Over the past several weeks, there have been a few frightening rumors about Lauer making a return to TV in some fashion.

According to a previous Page Six reports, Lauer told a few women who recently approached him that he has been busy fathering, but told these fans not to “worry” because he’ll “be back” on the small screen soon.

Does this mean he’s had active discussions with networks?

Does it mean he has a story to tell that will exonerate him from all allegations?

Does it mean that Lauer thinks people simply don’t believe he supposed raped someone?

It’s unclear.

When asked during an interview with Us Weekly if she thought Lauer should come back to the public eye after his fall from grace Kelly said she would not really comment.

But she did add the following:

“I know too much that others don’t know.”

Whoa there.

Interesting, right?

There’s already A LOT that the public either knows or assumes, based on various rumors and articles.

For example: Lauer supposedly made employees feel very uncomfortable by pulling out sex toys in front of them.

He also made unwanted advances toward them.

And he also had an affair with an underling named Addie Zinone, who actually sat down awhile back with Kelly.

When asked if she garnered any backlash for having a woman on her show who had slept with the recently-fired face of NBC daytime, Kelly replied:

“All I’m going to say is that I feel very strongly about the #MeToo coverage, the importance of doing it without fear or favor. I didn’t let anyone stop me at Fox, and I’m not going to let anyone stop me at NBC.”

Kelly, who previously had spoken out about harassment she endured while employed by former Fox boss Roger Ailes, went on to explain that she believes some men who commit sexual misconduct could “potentially” have second chances in the public eye.

She explained her side as follows:

“I feel it’s a case-by-case basis. I don’t think we need to see Harvey Weinstein in polite society ever again, but I don’t think that’s true of everyone. I think, for some of these guys, there’s a way forward.

“I happen to believe it starts with a full-throated apology, and not just this paper statement of, ‘I did some things wrong and I’m sorry.’”

Seems like another shot fired at Lauer, right?

This is what he wrote back in late November:

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. 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.

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 the people I love.

I thank them for their patience and grace.

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Matt Lauer Has to Pay HOW MUCH in Annette Roque Divorce?!

In November of 2017, Matt Lauer was accused of serious sexual harassment in the workplace, which included an allegation of rape. He was fired.

Annette Roque is divorcing him, and now we know what she’ll be getting in this hefty settlement.

Lauer is absolutely furious over how much he’s losing.

Us Weekly has the scoop on how much Matt Lauer’s divorce will cost him.

“He’s going to be forking out around $ 50 million in a settlement,” the insider reveals.

That is not the same thing as receiving $ 50 million in liquid currency. Only about half of that is cash.

“She will receive the horse farm,” the source explains.

Roque will also receive “their current residence and a one-time payment of $ 25 million.”

That’s a nice sum. It’s no surprise that Roque is keeping the house after she booted Lauer out of it.

“There will be no child or spousal support and they will split the costs for the kids,” the insider adds.

Lauer and Roque have three children together.

Jack is 16. Romy is 14. Their youngest, Thijs, is 11.

(Please do not make fun of kids’ names — they did not choose them)

So it sounds like they’ll be working hard to co-parent on an equal basis.

Incredibly, Lauer apparently feels like he got a raw deal.

“Matt is furious,” the insider reports. “He is essentially handing over half of his net worth to Annette.”

Isn’t that literally how divorce is supposed to work?

“He could fight for a better deal in court,” the source admits.

Lauer knows that he could contest this arrangement, “but that would only result in dragging this out longer.”

He wants to avoid a (divorce) war of attrition, the source says, “and negative headlines.”

Ugh. This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard people say that Lauer is obsessed with media coverage of his divorce.

But it gets worse.

“He is ready to move on with his life,” the insider reveals.

We’re sure that the various women at NBC whose careers may have been discouraged or sabotaged by his sexual harassment wish that they had so easily been able to move on.

What’s worse, though, is that Lauer actually thinks that people want to see him on TV again, the source says, “and truly believes that a television comeback is possible.”

Well, that’s gross. Remember, Lauer didn’t get fired for being a serial cheater. He was fired for sexual harassment. He was accused of rape.

There are a lot of people who believe that all rapists belong behind bars — at least.

It takes a hell of a lot of audacity for someone who has tens of millions of dollars and his freedom (post-divorce) to whine about dividing assets.

It takes nothing short of hubris to try to restart your television career after you’ve been exposed as a sex monster.

Good for Annette Roque for getting what was owed to her, though.

View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior

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Matt Lauer Actually Thinks People Want to See Him on TV Again

Matt Lauer reportedly thinks enough time has gone by for no one to care any longer that he’s an (alleged) rapist and (alleged) serial sexual harasser.

Seriously, folks:

The disgraced former Today Show host is (allegedly) plotting his return to television.

Lauer, of course, was fired by NBC in November after allegations from an ex-Today staffer surfaced in which she accused Lauer of acting in a very inappropriate manner toward her.

At the time, NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said he and his fellow executives didn’t hesitate to make this decision… largely because they had reason to believe Lauer had acted in a very inappropriate manner on many occasions.

Toward many ex and current staffers.

This is what Lack said upon canning the long-time anchor:

On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company’s standards.

As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment.

While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

Since this development, numerous other reports have detailed a handful of Lauer’s supposedly heinous actions; from gifting interns with sex toys… to carrying on an affair with a subordinate… to, in one case, flat-out raping someone.

We can’t say for certain which of these accusations are legitimate and which are inaccurate.

But it’s been widely accepted by nearly everyone at this point that Matt Lauer is a rather terrible and egotistical human being who frequently abused his power at NBC.

Whatever, though, Lauer thinks these days!

That was, like, seven months ago!

“Matt and his people think if enough time passes, he will be forgiven,” a source tells Radar Online, adding:

“He believes the only thing he’s guilty of was engaging in a consensual affair in the office.

“His view is that he was unfairly caught up in the rash of #MeToo abusers and did nothing that merited getting fired.”

We’d LOVE to see Lauer make this argument in public.

For the first few months after he got fired, Lauer basically lived in exile, hanging out around his house in Long Island and staying far out of the spotlight.

More recently, however, he’s been spotted around NBC’s Rockefeller Center studios in Manhattan, probably just to passive aggressively remind folks in the business that he still exists.

Although this same update claims that Lauer is also being actively aggressive.

“Matt’s been meeting with loads of his former producers, including Deborah Kosofsky – and Don Nash, who was also fired by the show,” an insider tells Radar.

After Hoda Kotb was announced as Lauer’s permanent replacement, ratings for Today soared.

But they have since leveled off and the show is once again getting beat each week by Good Morning America.

“Matt believes those numbers should be more than enough to convince the network to bring him back,” the source said, concluding ominously:

“Matt is certain he can work his way back to the top anchor spot in time. He is convinced he’ll be back on TV by the end of the year!”

We’d say this sounds crazy, but have you seen who is in the White House?

Anything is possible.

View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior

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"Tonight Show" Racial Lawsuit Challenges NBC"s Treatment of Brokaw, Lauer

Two white cameramen who are suing NBC claiming the network is racist allege the network has a pattern of protecting itself and sweeping misconduct under the rug, and they are pointing to the Tom Brokaw and Matt Lauer cases. Kurt Decker and Michael…

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Matt Lauer, Ann Curry War Reignited

The bad blood between Matt Lauer and Ann Curry is boiling again … after Curry accused Lauer of physically harassing an NBC female staffer. Curry claimed she told NBC execs back in 2012 Lauer was actually physically aggressive toward women and…

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Matt Lauer Responds to New Sexual Assault Allegations

Matt Lauer has spoken out for the first time in five months.

The disgraced former Today Show host has issued a new statement in light of new and very troubling allegations leveled against him.

“I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over these past several months” Lauer told The Washington Post last night, adding:

“I remained silent in an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of the privacy they have lost.”

He continued:

“But defending my family now requires me to speak up. I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC.

“However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false.”

A few months ago, Lauer was accused of rape.

A former NBC staffer said the embattled reporter locked the door to his office when she was inside of it and then forced himself on her.

But that alleged incident is actually not what Lauer is responding to here.

Instead, he has broken his lengthy silence after ex-colleague and co-host Ann Curry told The Post this week that she approached by two members of NBC’s management team in 2012 after an female staffer told Curry that she was “sexually harassed physically” by Lauer.

This is what Curry told the newspaper:

“A woman approached me and asked me tearfully if I could help her. She was afraid of losing her job. … I believed her.”

Added Curry in this new interview:

“I told management they had a problem and they needed to keep an eye on him and how he deals with women.”

It wasn’t until this past November, however, that Lauer was fired for sexual misconduct.

NBC management said at the time that it had received a believable report from an employee at the network in regard to Lauer’s behavior…

…and that it had reasons to believe many other incidents involving Lauer had also taken place.

Curry left NBC in 2015, much to the chagrin of pretty much anyone who ever watched her on air.

It was evident that she did not get along with Lauer, although she mostly took the high road when asked about him in January.

“I can tell you that I am not surprised by the allegations,” the veteran journalist said very simply in response to the Lauer scandal.

In this instance, though, Curry emphasized that she was familiar with verbal harassment examples.

A few days after Lauer was fired, he released the following statement:

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and action.

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

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.

View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior

There’s been talk of late, however, of Lauer trying to mount some kind of comeback.

We presume this is why Curry has come forward with a new round of accusations against him.

Good for her.

He sucks.

He deserves no more chances.

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Meredith Viera: Will She Give Evidence in Matt Lauer Divorce?

After months of tense speculation, Matt Lauer and Annette Roque are officially divorcing.

But this lengthy process could turn ugly — well, uglier — at any moment, especially considering how Lauer is reportedly in denial about how horrible his behavior really was.

Now it’s reported that Lauer’s former colleague, Meredith Viera, could become entangled in this $ 100 million divorce … and may be called to testify against him.

For ages, Meredith Viera and Matt Lauer seemed like peas in a pod. In 2013, Meredith defended Lauer during the controversy of NBC firing Ann Curry.

But now, Lauer is the one who’s been fired. He’s gone from a beloved figure to the list of accused sex monsters who’ve been hiding in plain sight for years.

And his wife is, of course, divorcing him.

So how does this involve Meredith Viera?

RadarOnline has an explosive new report that claims that the woman behind Lauer’s ousting was Meredith Viera’s own assistant.

Apparently, it was Viera’s assistant whom he targeted with sexual harassment in 2014, at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

This alleged harassment continued when they returned to New York.

She apparently had difficult-to-deny proof of Lauer’s harassment and generally disgusting behavior, in the form of wildly inappropriate images that he had texted to her.

It was these digital records that she turned over to the NBC higher-ups, which led them to fire Lauer.

Of course, that was what got the ball rolling. The dam broke, and other reports came about about Lauer’s unspeakable behavior.

That’s not the only thing that might tie Viera to this divorce, however.

In 2016, Meredith Viera hinted at Matt Lauer’s sexual fixations.

It’s almost certain that she had no idea that he was allegedly using NBC as a hunting ground for pretty, ambitious young women whom he could pressure into having sex with him.

But Viera specifically mentioned that Lauer had a “bag of sex toys” in his office.

(Again, his work office)

That ties in directly to some of the accusations, as he is said to have gifted sex toys to coworkers along with unsettling messages about how he would like to use the devices on them.

Most people probably interpreted that statement as a joke. And simply having a bag of sex toys at your place of work is not a crime.

But it could certainly come up during Roque’s divorce arguments … and if it does, Viera’s potential testimony could carry a lot of weight.

One could only wish that being a serial cheater were the worst of the accusations that Lauer is facing.

There’s using his position at NBC to pressure young employees into sex, even reportedly luring a woman to his hotel room by asking her to bring something to him.

There’s the in-office harassment, such as dropping his pants when a woman entered his office and later berating her for her refusal to perform a sex act.

And then, of course, Matt Lauer was accused of rape.

He reportedly locked a woman in his office (using the creepy button that did so remotely from his desk) and proceeded to allegedly assault her, bending her over.

He apparently only stopped and unlocked the door after she lost consciousness.

In a better world, someone accused of those kinds of misdeeds would be worried about massive lawsuits and prison time.

As it is, apparently Roque had to force Lauer out of their home because he had simply refused to leave.

It sounds like he’s preoccupied with public perceptions … and it’s been rumored that he believes that he can have his career again.

Perhaps if Meredith Viera or her assistant end up giving testimony during his divorce, it will become more clear to him that he has a lot more to lose than millions in spousal support.

Lauer’s divorce could end up being a test run for lawsuits or, potentially, a criminal investigation.

View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior

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Matt Lauer FINALLY Ousted From Home by Annette Roque

In the wake of Matt Lauer’s firing from NBC and the horrifying revelations about his behavior, his marriage has fallen apart.

For months now, Annette Roque has wanted Lauer out of her house. Now, it’s reported that he’s finally moved out.

But Roque apparently had to take drastic measures.

Us Weekly reports that Matt Lauer has moved out, at long last.

But their source reveals that he wasn’t exactly eager to go.

“Getting him to move out was quite daunting because Matt was refusing to leave.”

Despite Lauer and Roque’s divorce being underway, it sounds like he didn’t want to budge from the family residence.

And he apparently had one reason for dragging his heels.

“It was all about Matt, who expressed concern about how it would look to the media in the wake of being fired by NBC.”

As absurd as it sounds that he could be preoccupied with his public image, despite everything, that does fit in with reports that he believes that he has a second chance at his career.

The insider continues, saying that Lauer seems to not understand how all of this is hurting his family.

“Annette was simply at a loss for words because she had hoped that he would recognize this was best for her and the kids.”

Ultimately, she had to take drastic measures. The source says that she had to threaten legal action — which finally got him to pack his bags.

“Matt will always be more concerned about public perception and obviously doesn’t want to make headlines for being forced out of the house.”

It’s so sad to hear that he cares more about his image than about right and wrong.

Even with his departure, he’ll still be part of the lives of their children.

“Annette told him that there would never be any limitations on access to their kids.”

But things between the divorcing spouses are different. The source reports that they hardly communicate anymore.

“It’s minimal on good days.”

And the source continues, saying:

“But mostly nonexistent.”

All things considered, very few can blame Roque for not wanting to speak to the man who cheated on her. And adultery is the least of his alleged wrongdoings.

There have been reports that say that, despite everything, Matt Lauer believes that he can make a comeback.

Sure, most would like to believe that the man accused of multiple affairs, sexual harassment visited upon his subordinates, and of raping a woman in his office is as broken and ashamed as some have claimed.

But considering that Lauer reportedly used NBC as a hunting ground for years, going so far as to have a remote lock installed for his office door, it’s easy to believe that his worldview is so divorced from reality that he thinks that he can have a career again.

Perhaps he is thinking of the long history of men accused of doing evil, unforgivable things who somehow continue to have careers.

Convicted rapist Mike Tyson has his own show on Adult Swim. Woody Allen keeps making movies to critical acclaim. Chris Brown is still selling music. Johnny Depp is starring in the new Harry Potter movies.

But as much as those men are despised by many people, they weren’t exposed during the #MeToo movement. Matt Lauer was. Many hope that this will make the difference, and that he’ll never be able to claw his way back into social acceptance.

Contrary to what the reviled former NBC host might like to believe, Today is doing just fine without Matt Lauer.

In fact, ratings are higher than they’ve been in 5 years.

It’s possible that, one day, people will wax nostalgic about how awkwardly charming they found Lauer when he covered the Olympics and will be willing to forget what he was doing to his colleagues when the cameras weren’t running.

At the moment, however, many people familiar with the allegations against him don’t even want to look at him.

Annette Roque and her children are better off without having to share their home with him.

View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior

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Katie Couric: I Hope That Matt Lauer Has Learned His Lesson

Disgraced television host Matt Lauer has been fired for sexual harassment and Today Show ratings are higher than they’ve been in years.

Now, months later, Katie Couric is speaking out about Lauer and what it was like to work with him and how she insulated herself against harassment.

She also speaks about what she hopes for Matt Lauer’s present and future.

While speaking at TheWrap’s Power Women Breakfast at SXSW, Katie Couric discussed the #MeToo movement and what it’s been like as a woman in her position to experience that for these past months.

And, very naturally, she also speaks about her fallen former colleague, Matt Lauer.

First, she acknowledges that she’s been immersed in this perilous world since long before the #MeToo movement came about.

“I certainly dealt with sexist environments and environments that marginalized and didn’t give women their due, and didn’t treat women as intellectual equals.”

Katie says, however, that the accusations against Matt Lauer and ensuing scandal were much more personal.

“But it’s hit very close to home with Matt Lauer and what happened there.”

Katie elaborated about how listening to #MeToo stories has been illuminating for her.

“It’s been an important experience for me because I never faced this kind of treatment.”

A lot of people — men and women — are discovering for the first time just how perilous the world can be.

Katie knows why predatory men were wary of her.

“I was one of the lucky ones — I think I am harassable and I’m not harassable in that sense, and I think it is because I was in a position of power early in my career.”

To be clear, she’s not saying that there’s something special about her demeanor that makes people unwilling to harass her. Women who are targeted for harassment do not “invite” it.

Rather, she’s saying that securing a position of power as early as she did made men like Matt Lauer treat her as a colleague rather than as a potential target.

Here comes what’s probably her most controversial line.

Katie Couric speaks about what she hopes that Matt Lauer is up to now.

“I hope he’s trying to figure out and understand his behavior and why he did it and why it was so wrong.”

So she hopes that he learned his lesson. Does she imagine that Matt Lauer might have a career after this?

Even in this context, she can’t help but sound like she’s singing his praises.

“We had a wonderful working relationship.”

Perhaps she’s trying to speak of how 

She says that she’s still reeling from the revelations about Matt Lauer.

“It’s shocking, honestly, and disturbing, disorienting, disheartening — all of those d-words.”

She points out that there are others, probably countless men who are still employed, who are predatory wolves in sheep’s clothing.

“But I think, he’s not the only one who behaves in this way …”

That has been made abundantly clear since the autumn of 2017.

“Cultures have existed in the media, and in every arena, where behaviors were tolerated, people looked the other way, it was an accepted way of doing business.”

She says that, regrettably, most people looked the other way.

“I don’t think people paid much attention to it.”

Some accuse Katie Couric of hypocrisy.

She took part in a secret roast of Matt Lauer back in 2008. The content of that roast was said to have mentioned his alleged sexual exploits.

But there’s a difference between someone cheating on his wife (obviously, Annette Roque has finally filed for divorce) and someone preying upon colleagues who don’t feel like they can say no.

And then there was the woman who accused him of locking her in his office, bending her over, and sexually assaulting her — and of only stopping and unlocking the door when she passed out.

It’s probably safe to say that most colleagues who didn’t know the truth chalked up rumors about him as exaggerations and didn’t realize how sinister their colleague’s alleged activities really were.

View Slideshow: Matt Lauer: A Timeline of Terrible Behavior

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Savannah Guthrie & Hoda Kotb: How is "Today" Doing Without Matt Lauer?

In the wake of a sex scandal that included some truly heinous allegations, Matt Lauer has lost his wife. He’s lost his job. He’s lost any respect or trust that the American public once placed in him.

And NBC’s Today, which he hosted for decades, lost him as its host.

Now hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, how are the ratings doing? You might be shocked.

Matt Lauer is said to be broken and ashamed following the horrible accusations from his time at NBC.

Sweet, sweet schadenfreude aside, a lot of people wonder if NBC — while doing the right thing — effectively shot itself in the foot by firing Matt Lauer.

Before the accusations of sexual harassment and rape came out, Matt Lauer enjoyed tremendous popularity.

Some considered him to be akin to “America’s dad,” finding his occasional slip-ups during interviews to be adorable rather than red flags.

With Lauer gone, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb are cohosts of Today.

While they’re definitely better choices than an alleged sexual predator and creep, how are the ratings going? Did viewers flee from the show when the scandal broke?

As it turns out, and you may be surprised by this, Today‘s ratings aren’t just good — they’re outstanding.

According to Nielsen results, Today ranks #1 among adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. Those are a couple of very coveted demographics.

Looking back to the same week last year, Today has improved its lead over Good Morning America by 16%.

This makes this Today‘s best streak in 5 years, in terms of raw numbers of viewers and in terms of key demographics.

Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie should be very proud of themselves.

Just after Thanksgiving in 2017, Matt Lauer was fired for alleged sexual misconduct.

At the time, NBC admitted that they had reason to believe that the incident that had been reported to them was part of a larger pattern.

And then the reports, which reporters had been quietly researching for weeks, began to surface.

Accusations included stories of dropping his pants or “gifting” sex toys to colleagues without invitation or consent.

One pants-dropping incident was allegedly followed by Matt Lauer lecturing the woman for not performing a sex act.

One sex toy-gifting incident allegedly included a creepy, detailed note describing the ways in which he wanted to use that toy on, again, a woman he worked with, who was literally just coming into work to do her dang job.

Matt Lauer was also accused of rape. According to the accusation, he used his creepy desk-based-door-locking-button to trap a woman in his office with him before bending her over and beginning the sexual assault.

He allegedly didn’t relent and unlock his door until she passed out.

Horrific.

As we alluded to earlier, Matt Lauer’s wife Annette Roque is officially divorcing him.

Since news of the scandal broke — and since she fled the country with her two younger sons — people have been waiting to see if she would divorce Matt Lauer and take everything.

For a while, though, it seemed that Matt and Annette were trying to play nice for the sake of their children. Given the weight of the accusations against Matt Lauer — accusations of so much more than just cheating — that attempt was doomed from the get-go.

We imagine that their divorce process will be complicated and may grow contentious — these things always do. Especially when it comes down to money, division of property, and custody decisions.

(In other words, everything that matters in a divorce)

The ratings news is fantastic.

It’s especially good because the Winter Olympics are just about to begin.

For years, people have associated the Olympics with Lauer because he covered the event every time.

From recent accusations, the world has now heard how he used these NBC trips as a sort of hunting ground to invite or lure young, ambitious NBC employees to his hotel room.

It will be hard for some people to not notice Matt Lauer’s absence. That can lead to some awkward discussions.

So it’s wonderful to hear that Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie are doing Lauer’s Today job better than he has in years.

View Slideshow: Hollywood Sex Scandal: Who’s Been Caught? Accused? Fired?

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Matt Lauer and Annette Roque Begin Divorce Process

For almost 20 years, Matt Lauer was married to Annette Roque. Clearly, among Lauer’s many widely reported failings was his failure as a husband.

It’s long been suspected that Annette Roque is planning to divorce Matt Lauer, but her approach to this has seemed calm and careful. And quiet.

Now, reportedly, the divorce process has finally begun.

One of the biggest stories during these months of #MeToo was Matt Lauer being revealed and accused of being a serial harasser.

The shocking details of Matt Lauer giving sexual “gifts” and dropping his pants to demand sex acts from coworkers and underlings at NBC were enough.

But it didn’t stop at creepy stories about a button on his desk to remotely lock his office door, or at his alleged fondness for using NBC trips as a hunting ground, looking for young, pretty, ambitious staffers to invite — or lure — to his hotel room.

And then, of course, Matt Lauer was accused of rape. 

According to the allegations, he locked a woman in his office, bent her over, and only stopped his sexual assault after she lost consciousness.

Some divorces are started by mere cheating, not an international media scandal that leaves a once-beloved TV personality in disgrace.

Us Weekly reports that, after nearly two months of … whatever Annette Roque has been up to … she’s finally divorcing Matt Lauer.

“They’ve started the divorce process.”

For a while, many feared that Annette Roque was refusing to divorce Matt Lauer. Since then, however, she’s kicked Matt Lauer out of their family home in the Hamptons.

(Finally!)

Clearly, something has changed.

Do you know what the weirdest part of this is, though?

It sounds like Matt Lauer is totally detached from reality. At least, from what we hope reality is.

Per their source:

“He thinks he can start fresh. In both his personal and professional life.”

We’re sure that he can date and even remarry. Sadly, he’s rich and famous, and some people don’t mind dating an accused rapist.

But … he really believes that he can salvage his career?

“He thinks he’ll be back on TV at some point.”

Maybe he’s right. After all, Johnny Depp is still somehow starring in movies even though we all know exactly what sort of man he is. And Woody Allen is still making movies.

As we said, Matt Lauer and Annette Roque were married for nearly 20 years.

Divorce can be hell, and there’s a decent chance that what’s currently a quiet divorce will grow contentious over time.

The couple has three children together: Jack, 16, Romy, 14, and Thijs, 11.

(Don’t make fun of their names; kids don’t choose their names)

Shortly after the Lauer story first broke, Annette Roque pretty much fled the country, and she brought Romy and Thijs with her.

Jack remained behind … we don’t know what to read into that other than that he’s 16.

This divorce will impact the children no matter what, but they’re at least old enough that they (particularly Jack and Romy) can probably have some sort of say when it comes to custody.

It’s difficult to tell how this divorce will go.

On the one hand, if we were for some reason advising Matt Lauer, we’d suggest giving his wife everything she asks for, quietly and politely. Surely he owes her that much, if not more.

On the other, the description that Us Weekly‘s source provides of Matt Lauer hardly meshes with the “broken, ashamed” description of him that we were so pleased to hear a while back. (Excuse my schadenfreude)

if he really thinks that his life can somehow go on as before, that people can still see him as a public figure and not as a sex monster who abused the trust of coworkers but also of the public, then he might fight to enforce the couple’s prenup.

We can hope that he makes the choice of a decent human being. But, given his alleged behavior in recent decades, we won’t hold our breath.

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