The National Enquirer claims that Matt Lauer and his wife of 12 years, Annette, have split up and are living separately.
The story says that Lauer “walked out” and that the split occurred after an “explosive two-day fight.” (The National Enquirer previously broke the story of John Edwards’ affair with Rielle Hunter.) The article cites “sources” who say Annette Lauer is no longer wearing her wedding ring and asserts Lauer’s mother-in-law confirmed the split.
The split is rumored to be due to after-hours partying during the Winter Olympics and an Lauer’s alleged extended stay in Vancouver after production wrapped:
Suspicions allegedly arose when Matt not only stood his wife up on Valentine’s Day, but also chose to remain in Vancouver for an extended period of time after the “Today” show crew wrapped production and returned to New York.
The 52-year-old married man reportedly “went wild” with colleagues at nightspots and caught the eye of two good-looking Canadian broadcasters.
The New York Daily News reports that Annette learned of her husband’s alleged indiscretions from fellow Today Show staffers’ wives. The paper also says Lauer is being pressured by NBC to downplay the split publicly to protect his family-friendly image.
