NOTE: This article contains disturbing and sexually explicit language. Please read at your own discretion.
Matt Lauer‘s wife Annette Roque filed for divorce from the former Today Show anchor after 20 years of marriage.
According to People, Roque submitted the paperwork for the divorce Tuesday in Suffolk County, New York.
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“The case, which is an uncontested matrimonial, was filed on July 9th in State Supreme Court in Suffolk County, New York and is awaiting judicial review of the agreement,” said Lucian Chalfen, director of public information for the New York State Unified Court System.
“Upon a judge’s signature, it will be sent to the court clerk’s office to be entered. The process could take up to a few months.”
In another statement to People on Wednesday, Roque’s lawyer John Teitler told the outlet, “The matter has been settled.”
Roque, 52, and the former Today Show host were married on Oct. 3, 1998 and share three children together — Jack, 18, Romy, 15, and Thijs, 12.
NBC fired Lauer in late November 2017 following reports of “inappropriate sexual behaviour.”
Variety released a report in November alleging that “multiple” women had come forward with sexual harassment accusations against Lauer, 61. Variety claimed it spent two months investigating Lauer, interviewing dozens of current and former employees at NBC.
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In total, the publication said that it interviewed three women who said Lauer sexually harassed them, and Variety corroborated their stories. The women asked to remain anonymous for fear of impact on their careers.
Among the allegations:
- Lauer allegedly gave a colleague a sex toy as a gift and included a note saying how he wanted to “use it” on her
- Lauer allegedly called a female employee into his office, where he’s accused of dropping his pants and showing her his penis; the woman says she was later reprimanded by Lauer for not engaging in any sexual act
- Lauer allegedly liked to “play games” like “F**k, Marry, Kill” with female colleagues and interview subjects, often stating who he’d like to sleep with while playing
- Lauer allegedly had a “fixation” on women, despite being married for over a decade
- Lauer allegedly had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without having to get up
“There were a lot of consensual relationships, but that’s still a problem because of the power he held,” said a former producer to Variety.
“He couldn’t sleep around town with celebrities or on the road with random people because he’s Matt Lauer and he’s married. So he’d have to do it within his stable, where he exerted power, and he knew people wouldn’t ever complain.”
Roque filed for divorce in 2006, accusing Lauer of “cruel and inhumane behaviour,” but withdrew the filing shortly afterwards when they reached a private agreement.
After five months of silence, Lauer released a statement in April 2018 to avoid “further embarrassment” due to media reports about his alleged behaviour.
Lauer admitted to wrongdoing, but he insisted that the reports regarding any “coercive, aggressive, or abusive actions” are false.
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“I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over the past several months … I remained silent as an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of privacy they have lost,” Lauer said in a statement to The Washington Post.
The statement continued: “I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father, and principal at NBC. However, I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive, or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
— With files from Chris Jancelewicz
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