INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

The Matt Lauer, Annette Roque Divorce Will Likely Be One Of The Most Expensive

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 04:41 PST, Jan 4, 2018

The holidays are over, and sources close to Matt Lauer and Annette Roque say Roque is moving forward with her plans to divorce the former Today show star. While Annette Roque had said she would wait until the holidays were over to start making plans to exit the marriage, she was spotted meeting with her divorce lawyers in New York City to get the ball rolling. Friends of the couple had said that Roque wanted to keep the holidays relatively normal for Jack, Romy, and Thijs Lauer, but at the last minute, she decided that she wanted to be alone with the Lauer children on Christmas.

Annette Roque Asked Matt Lauer To Leave The House For Christmas

Friends say that at the last minute, Annette Roque decided that she didn’t want Matt Lauer around for Christmas and asked him to leave the property. All of the rumors about Lauer with various women from Today finally convinced Roque that she needed a break. Annette Roque had permitted Lauer to remain on the property in Sag Harbor for the holidays, but she needed him to leave, even if just for the day.

“Annette [Roque] didn’t pull the trigger [on any legal action] right away because of the kids. But she could no longer separate rumor from fact when it came to his sexual misdeeds and abuse of power…[she] told him to leave. Matt tried to plead his case, but Annette cut him off.”

Annette Roque spent Christmas alone with the Lauer children but went out with friends for New Year’s Eve, telling Matt Lauer he was not invited to come with her. Matt Lauer reportedly spent New Year’s Eve alone with their children.

Friends Say That Annette Roque Will Pull The Matt Lauer Divorce Trigger Any Day

Sources say that when Annette Roque met with her divorce lawyers at Latham & Watkins in NYC during the holidays, she had started the process of divorcing Matt Lauer, but Roque told them she was waiting until the new year to officially end their marriage. Annette Roque had also informed her lawyers that she wanted to break the post-nuptial agreement because Lauer had a serious uptick in salary since 2006, and Roque and Lauer had purchased real estate together recently.

A source close to Matt Lauer told InTouch that Annette Roque had kept her end of the bargain and put off filing for divorce during the holidays, but it’s 2018, and Roque is ready to move on, says InTouch Weekly.

“She’s done with him. And now, it’s only a matter of time. A divorce announcement should be coming any day now.”

Annette Roque Is Not Just Seeking Money From Matt Lauer

Annette Roque claims that Matt Lauer was making over $25 million a year in his last few years at Today and that during their marriage the bulk of the real estate was acquired. The NYC apartment where Lauer had been living during the week is worth $6 million, and the Sag Harbor horse farm and compound where Roque has been living with the Lauer children is worth $35 million. Lauer and Roque purchased property overseas, including a farm in New Zealand said to be worth $9 million. Annette Roque is said to be seeking half of everything that was purchased during the marriage.

But while Annette wants to make sure she gets half of their real estate portfolio, her biggest priority is to get full physical custody of her three children as she has been their primary parent since they were born.

“[She] will ask for primary custody, allowing Matt partial custody because he has been a great father to his kids.”

Matt Lauer Is Having Trouble Letting Go Of Roque And His Career

But while Matt Lauer is said to be having trouble letting go of his marriage to Annette Roque, he also seems to be rudderless professionally. Friends of Lauer said that the former Today host was happy to retire after he was fired by NBC, but it seems that he has changed his mind.

Now that Annette Roque has made it clear that she doesn’t want him around, Matt Lauer is trying to edge his way back into a position consulting for NBC, says the Daily Beast. In the new year, Matt Lauer started sending unsolicited advice about the Today show to producers at NBC.

Matt Lauer sent a text to Hoda Kotb congratulating her on her new role on Today but also told a Today producer that they were using the wrong music for a particular segment.

Share this article: The Matt Lauer, Annette Roque Divorce Will Likely Be One Of The Most Expensive
matt lauer
More from Inquisitr