Princewill Pius
Matt Lauer has been a subject of controversy ever since he was fired from NBC in 2017 following sprawling allegations of sexual misconduct. That same year, his alleged secret relationship with former Today intern Addie Collins came to light. At the time, Collins was 24 years old, and Lauer was a 40-something who had recently married Annette Roque.
According to a report from Variety, Lauer’s short relationship with Collins began in 2000 when she took a position as a local anchor on WDTV in West Virginia and planned to leave NBC. She was hoping to get career advice from the TV host before her time at the network was up, so the pair met for lunch where Lauer reportedly “aggressively hit on” her. Confused and flattered, Collins leaned into it. They ended up entering a four-week affair, where they had a secret rendezvous in Lauer’s dressing room.
“It crossed the line. It was a consensual encounter. It happened in his dressing room above studio 1A, which was empty in the afternoons,” she told Variety. “He got in his car and I had to go back to work, and now my life had completely changed … The situation really took its toll on me … Fear crept into my life. I became unsure of myself. Any confidence I had was gone. For him, it was a conquest.”
Roque ultimately filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2019, according to People.
Written by: Nicki
