Matt Lauer, who was fired as co-anchor of NBC’s Today show amid allegations that he sexually assaulted a female staffer, had also been plagued with rumors of affairs for years — though he’s been married to a Dutch model since 1998.
But his wife, Annette Roque, reportedly filed for divorce in 2006, while she was pregnant. The New York Daily News reports that the divorce documents, which surfaced in 2014, found that Roque accused Lauer of “cruel and inhumane” treatment. The documents reportedly accuse Lauer of hyper-controlling behavior, and his wife also claimed that he exhibited “extreme anger and hostility” toward her.
Former NBC host Matt Lauer has been married to Annette Roque since 1998 https://t.co/y8XJTEfV1s pic.twitter.com/EIBuCGeLIH
— Intl. Business Times (@IBTimes) November 29, 2017
Roque eventually withdrew the divorce papers, and reportedly gave birth to the couple’s son Thijs two months after filing the initial paperwork.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, NBC News chairman Andy Lack announced Lauer’s firing on Tuesday night, the day after a female staffer reported sexual misconduct allegations to the network’s Human Resources department. That source is believed to be the same woman Lauer is accused of sexually assaulting during NBC’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
While the sexual assault allegations came as a shock to many, multiple sources told People magazine on Wednesday that Lauer’s alleged infidelity was an open secret.
“Everyone on staff knew he cheated regularly on his wife,” a former Today show staffer told the magazine.
“He regularly cheated on his wife,” another source said.
“Everyone knew. His wife lives in the Hamptons and he lives in the city, but we never heard he made unwanted moves.”
Lauer has not yet publicly commented on the allegations.
[Feature image: Associated Press]
