Mathew Todd Lauer is a well known American journalist and actor who hosted The Today show on NBC. In his career, he has interviewed various newsmakers and high profile individuals, including three US presidents. He has also travelled to many parts of the world to anchor both live and taped news on site.
Every year since 1998, Lauer visits a new region of the globe and gives his audience a tour of its geography, culture, history and other interesting details.
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Top Interviews of Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer’s popular interviews include
Interview with Tom Cruise in 2005
Interviews with Prince Harry and Prince William in 2007
Interview with Charlie Sheen in 2015, where he revealed that he was HIV Positive
30 minute separate interviews with Presidential Candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
Early life and education
Born on 30th December 1957, Lauer is the son of Marilyn Kolmer (daughter to Art Gentry; one of the Four Eton Boys singers) and Jay Robert Lauer. He has an elder sister called April.
During much of his young age, the family resided in New York City where his mother ran a boutique. His dad was an executive at a bicycle company. The couple divorced while matt was in his teens.
Matt’s father had been struggling with cancer. He died in 1997- the same year when his son received his bachelors’ degree from Ohio University.
Lauer should have graduated earlier in the 80’s from the same institution, but a job offer from WOWK-TV made him to quit studies while he was on internship. It took him 18 years to return and earn his four pending credits.
Career
At WOWK-TV, Matt was the producer for 12 O’clock news. This was his first television job. Even before the end of his first year, he had already been given an on air slot in the broadcaster’s 6 am and 11am news cast.
Soon, Lauer was hosting talk show programs- at different times of the month or week- from four towns: Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond. He was also a host of PM magazine for about three years until the show was pulled down.
Matt also worked for WNYW-TV and ESPN during the 80s. In 1990, the Kushner-Locke Company picked him to host their pilot program, Day in Court, on NBC. When the series was officially launched however, Rob Weller was hired in his place.
In 1992, Lauer became a co anchor of Today in New York on WNBC-TV. A year later, he also joined Sue Simmons in Live at Five, as her co anchor. Soon, he started filling in for Margaret Larson on NBC’s TODAY. He then joined the show full time as its news anchor in 1994, while still holding his positions in the other two.
In addition to these, Lauer made once in a while appearances on many other NBC platforms, both as a fill in anchor and panelist. His viewer rating continued to grow tremendously.
From 1997 to date, he has been today’s official co- anchor. He workd alongside Savannah Guthrie. He was also a member of cast in the movie, Land of the Lost.
Why was Matt Lauer removed from NBC News?
On November 29, 2019, NBC stated that Lauer’s employment has been terminated after a female colleague from NBC alleged that Lauer had sexually harassed her, during the Winter Olympics of 2014, in Sochi, Russia. She added that Lauer had continued harassing her even after they had returned to New York.
Variety and The New York Times conducted independent investigations on Lauer’s behavior , with the former reported as many as 10 cases of harassment by Lauer’s current and ex colleagues.
Lauer gave a statement to the media stating,” “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.”
The final nail in the coffin was an alelgation from the production assistant of Today, named Addie Zinone who stated that a consensual relationshp with Lauer stemmed out of abuse of power on his part. She said that she couldn’t say no to him, because it would affect her career.
Wife and children
with wife Annette Roque
After having divorced from Nancy Alspaugh, Matt married Annete Roque, a professional model, in 1998. They have three children, Jack Matthews, Thijs and Romy Matt and Roque got involved in divorce procedings in January 2018.
Matt Lauer – affair
with Natalie Morales
The charismatic 1.81 feet tall news anchor has been linked to many media personalities. He was known to be having an affair with Lara Spencer, fellow journalist. Matt Lauer was also known to be having an affair with glamorous chef Giada De Laurentiis, which both denied. He was also known to be having an affair with Natalie Morales, the anchor from NBC News Today. He has also been known to be having an affair with co-anchor from The Today show, Savannah Guthrie.
Matt Lauer – Net worth and salary
Matt Lauer was one of the highest earning news anchors, with an annual salary of $28 Million and $60 million net worth, when he was sacked. In any case, his contract was due to be expired in 2018. Though reports stated Lauer’s lawyers were trying hard to get NBC Pay the remaining contractual amount, Page Six reported that the network has refused to grant a payout.
Post the divorce, Matt Lauer’s net worth takes a big hit,as it can fall to below $35 million.
Matt Lauer – Divorce Payout
Matt, acording to a media source, agreed to pay Annette a lump sum of a few millions back in 2006, as a stimulus for her to stay with him. The source states that she got an allowance every year plus it was agreed that she would get a share in the value of their property, in case they split. Page Six reported that Matt Lauer agreed to pay $20 million as divorce settlement to his wife of 20 years.
People reported that Matt Lauer and Annette are co-parenting for the sake of their three kids Jack, Thijs and Romy. He is currently staying at their 12-bedroom property and would move out to another house, once the divorce papers are signed.
House
Matt Lauer stays with his wife in their 12 bedroom palatial home in Strongheart Manor, in The Hamptons. The house which he bought for $36 million from Hollywood star Richard Gere, who had listed it at $63 million initially, is a luxurious pad.
What is Matt Lauer doing now after being sacked?
As of now, Matt Lauer has refrained from making any sort of comeback on TV and is busy trying to sort out his life. He is known to spend more time with his family, especially his kids. Reports state that he is playing golf and doing a lot of reading.
Matt Lauer Updates
Stay tuned for more updates on Lauer as we get more information about him.
Developed and updated by Deepti Kanojia