Matt Lauer, Annette Roque Shocking Relationship Amid Sex Scandal: ‘She Knew He Was A Player’ Pre-Wedding

Even before Matt Lauer and Annette Roque exchanged their wedding vows, she feared that the now-disgraced Today show host would cheat on her, according to a new report. As details of the sex scandal that resulted in Lauer’s shocking fall from his lofty anchor position continue to be revealed, insiders are revealing the evolution of Matt and Annette’s relationship from pre-wedding to post-scandal.

Annette Roque Feared That Matt Lauer Would Cheat Even Before Wedding Day: Insiders

An insider told People Magazine that Lauer’s wife worried that he would cheat on her long before their wedding day. Married for 19 years, Matt and Annette Roque had their lives forever changed when NBC News fired him after years as the Today show’s popular anchor.

The firing occurred when the network received details from one of Lauer’s colleagues about “inappropriate sexual behavior.” Even as new details emerge about other professional incidents of alleged sexual misconduct, however, insiders have told People that Matt’s personal behavior caused problems in his marriage.

“Matt Lauer was allegedly often unfaithful to Roque.”

Lauer was married to television producer Nancy Alspaugh from 1981 to 1988 prior to marrying Annette in 1998. Matt met the woman who would become his wife on a blind date.

Matt admitted to a friend that he experienced struggles and challenges in his relationship with his second wife.

Matt Lauer’s Reputation As “Ladies” Man’ Worried Wife: He Loves His Kids Like A “Single Guy”

But one former colleague was more candid in talking with People about the marriage, saying that it was “never good.” The colleague said that Lauer was known as a “ladies’ man,” and that Matt’s reputation worried Annette prior to their wedding day.

“He was a player when she met him and she knew that. Even many years ago, he was a flirt, a philanderer. He did his thing.”

Roque and Lauer have three children. The former colleague emphasized that Matt “loves” his kids, including his 16-year-old son Jack, 14-year-old daughter Romy, and 11-year-old son Thijs.

But although the insider describes Lauer as a “solid father,” one network producer told People Magazine that in essence, Matt maintained a persona of a “single guy.” At one point, Annette and her husband lived separate lives, with Roque bringing up the three kids in the Hamptons and Lauer staying at his apartment in Manhattan.

Matt Lauer And Wife Annette Roque Living Arrangement Revealed

Roque and Lauer have been seen separately in the wake of the sex scandal, and one of the sources told People that the two continue to reside in one home as a couple. But the insider didn’t offer predictions for the future, noting that it is very much a one-day-at-a-time relationship.

“They’re taking it day by day right now.”

The source said that Matt is focusing on his family. As for money, Lauer allegedly inked a $20 million contract in 2016. He began his NBC career in 1992 as a newsreader on Today. In January of 1997, Matt moved into and held the co-anchor position for the morning show until he was fired.

Matt Lauer And Wife Wedding Rings Bombshell

Neither Lauer nor his wife is wearing a wedding ring at this point, insiders told ET. But it is not known whether they decided together or separately to remove their wedding rings in what is being interpreted as a symbolic gesture.

“Despite Matt Lauer and his wife, Annette Roque, stepping out separately on Wednesday without their wedding rings,…the two are still living together in the Hamptons.”

Lauer and Roque are residing with the three children at their home in Sag Harbor, New York, according to the insiders. Rumors that Annette took the younger kids from school in order to leave the United States are not true, according to the sources.

In the wake of Matt’s Today show firing as a result of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace,” he is attempting to keep a low profile, said one of the insiders. Although Lauer is residing with Roque now, another source said that the two had been separated prior to the sex scandal.

“Matt and Annette lived separately, with Matt spending many nights in his Manhattan apartment,” said the source.

However, Roque’s father, Henri, said that he does not believe that Annette and Lauer could mend their marriage after the scandal. He said that his daughter will not stay with Matt to try to heal their relationship.