A former and longtime colleague close to former “Today” show host Matt Lauer said that the longtime anchor likely won’t attempt a comeback.
Lauer was terminated from the Today show by NBC News amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The 59-year-old host also released an apology statement, which was read aloud on Today last week.
“He wanted to run away and live with the money he had made and be with his family. This is definitely not the way he wanted to go out, but I don’t think he feels the need to be on air like some people, doing specials. I think he’ll have a quiet life and go golfing a ton,” the colleague told People.
NBC announced last Wednesday that it received a “detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior” on Monday.
Lauer said Thursday, “Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.”
His colleague added that Lauer “loves his kids. When you see him as a dad to those kids, he is a solid father with no holes in that record.”
NBC’s Stephanie Gosk revealed to Megyn Kelly last Thursday that there might be as many as eight female accusers.
But the source claimed in the People report he wasn’t a “predator but a player,” while adding that he was professional, worked hard, and was a leader while working for NBC.
“This is the head of the show, and he was doing good deeds behind the doors,” the source added. “People would say, ‘Go to Matt.’ He would pay off people’s bills. His driver passed, and he paid for all his funeral bills so the family wouldn’t have to.” The person also said that he bought a laptop for a crew member’s wife who had a tumor.
“He had so much good. He was careless, reckless, distasteful, but it’s not what we’re reading,” the source added.
The person also said that Lauer also considered retiring.
“I told him, ‘I don’t have to know the truth here, but that doesn’t separate who you were to so many of us so often while we knew you,'” the source said. They added that every time his contract was up for renewal, he wanted to walk away.
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