Matt Lauer Feels He’s ‘Owed an Apology’ Years After Misconduct Scandal

Matt Lauer is “planning a comeback” years after he was fired from NBC amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

“He’s started to talk to people,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively of the morning show host. “He’s planning his next act, still very upset with how he was portrayed, and still feels like he was the victim.”

The insider tells Us that Lauer, 66, “wants to get back into the media,” but is spending most of his time on Long Island. “He wants to be relevant again; what that is exactly is yet to be decided,” the source adds.

Lauer feels that “enough time has gone by” and he should be allowed to return to the media space.

Amid a slew of other high-profile men implicated in the #MeToo movement, the former Today host made headlines in November 2017 after a female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior. In 2019, journalist Ronan Farrow published details about the alleged assault in his book Catch and Kill. Lauer has denied all the accusations against him.

“He went from being the biggest guy out there, and now every headline [attached to him] is ‘disgraced;’ it’s very painful for him to go out there with his girlfriend,” the source tells Us. “He’s very thin skinned — don’t expect an apology, he’s the one who feels is owed an apology.”

Lauer continues to make headlines years after news of his scandal first broke. Most recently, he and girlfriend Shamin Abas attended Don Lemon‘s New York City wedding on Saturday, April 6. The insider explained that this is part of Lauer’s campaign to “test the waters” with various public appearances.

While Lauer and Abas have been on and off since 2019, “now they’re very much on,” the same source reveals to Us. “He wants to show that he’s in a stable relationship. He’s not a playboy. He has a stable life.”

Prior to his relationship with Abas, the former TV host was married to Annette Roque for more than 20 years before they split after Lauer’s 2017 scandal. Lauer and Roque share three children together, Jack, 22, Romy, 20, and Thijs, 17.

“He is on good terms with his kids, which was the most important thing for him,” the source shares. “This was not always the case post-divorce but now he’s good with the kids.”

In terms of what’s next, the insider tells Us that Lauer is focused on “building the foundation for a comeback.” Adds the insider: “He’s not going off into the sunset.”