Matt Lauer tightens inner circle five years after being fired from Today and getting ‘semi-slammed’ by Katie Couric in her 2021 memoir
- The 64-year-old former NBC News star has ‘kind of withdrawn from several friendships in the last year’, particularly after Couric released her 2021 memoir Going There, a source told People
- ‘He was really upset by Katie Couric’s book. She shared their private text messages and she semi-slammed him. It made him lose trust,’ the insider said
- Couric and Lauer were co-hosts of NBC’s flagship morning program Today from 1997 to 2006
- Lauer was fired by NBC in 2017, just two days after an unidentified female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior
- Couric in her memoir shared portions of the text messages that she sent to Lauer after he was fired
- Lauer and Dutch model Annette Roque, 55, got divorced in 2019 after nearly two years of separation in the wake of his 2017 sexual harassment allegations
Matt Lauer has tightened his inner circle five years after he was fired from the Today show and ‘semi-slammed’ by his former Today co-host Katie Couric in her memoir.
The 64-year-old former NBC News star has ‘kind of withdrawn from several friendships in the last year’, particularly after Couric released her 2021 memoir Going There, a source told People in an article on Monday.
‘He was really upset by Katie Couric’s book. She shared their private text messages and she semi-slammed him. It made him lose trust,’ the insider said.
Tight circle: Matt Lauer, shown in November 2017, has tightened his inner circle five years after he was fired from the Today show and ‘semi-slammed’ by his former Today co-host Katie Couric in her memoir
The source added that Lauer’s ‘level of trust’ has diminished in large part due to Couric’s book and ‘because talking to people from his past is painful.’
Lauer was described by the insider as a ‘semi-empty nester, not working’ in ‘transitional time’ with his son Jack, 21, daughter Romy, 19, who are both in college, and his 16-year-old son Thrijs.
Couric and Lauer were co-hosts of NBC’s flagship morning program Today from 1997 to 2006.
Lauer was fired by NBC in 2017, just two days after an unidentified female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior.
Former co-worker: The 64-year-old former NBC News star has ‘kind of withdrawn from several friendships in the last year’, particularly after Couric, shown in June 2021, released her 2021 memoir Going There, a source told People in an article on Monday
At the time, NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said it was the ‘first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he’s been at NBC News,’ but claimed they had reason to believe there were other incidents.
Later, in Ronan Farrow’s 2019 book, Catch and Kill, producer Brooke Nevils claimed that Lauer anally raped her while the two were covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Couric in her memoir shared portions of the text messages that she sent to Lauer after he was fired.
Morning hosts: Couric and Lauer, shown in January 2017 at Lauer’s 20th anniversary celebration, were co-hosts of NBC’s flagship morning program Today from 1997 to 2006
She wrote to him: ‘I am crushed. I love you and care about you deeply. I am here. Please let me know if you want to talk. There will be better days ahead.’
He responded with a blowing kiss emoji.
Lauer and Dutch model Annette Roque, 55, got divorced in 2019 after nearly two years of separation in the wake of his 2017 sexual harassment allegations.
Parade duty: NBC stars Couric and Lauer are shown hosting the 2000 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
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