Disgraced Matt Lauer 'has no intention of trying to make a Billy Bush comeback' and 'just wants to play golf and stay in the Hamptons'

  • Today show host fled to his Hamptons home after he was fired in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations on November 29
  • A source has claimed that 'Matt has no intention in returning to public life'
  • 'He has no intention of mounting a Billy Bush-style comeback campaign. He plans to disappear and play golf'
  • Comment comes after both Lauer and his wife were spotted without their wedding rings
  • Meanwhile, Bush, who was fired from Today over his involvement with the infamous p***ygate tape has been trying to mount a TV comeback 

Disgraced Matt Lauer wants to stay out of the spotlight and just focus on his family and his golf game, sources claim.

The former Today show host fled to his Hamptons home after he was fired in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations on November 29.

Unlike fellow scandal-hit, ex-Today show host Billy Bush, who launched an all-out campaign to return to TV after he was filmed making unseemly remarks about women with President Trump, sources day Lauer is not interested in a comeback.  

A source told Page Six: 'Matt has no intention in returning to public life. 

Disgraced Matt Lauer wants to stay out of the spotlight and just focus on his family and his golf game, sources claim (Lauer hits his shot on number one at the 2015 KPMG Women's PGA Championship in New York)

Disgraced Matt Lauer wants to stay out of the spotlight and just focus on his family and his golf game, sources claim (Lauer hits his shot on number one at the 2015 KPMG Women's PGA Championship in New York)

Friends say he has no plans to return to public life at the moment and wants to focus on his family 

Friends say he has no plans to return to public life at the moment and wants to focus on his family 

'He plans to disappear and play golf. He wants to be a regular Joe; to play golf and stay in the Hamptons. 

'He has no intention of mounting a Billy Bush-style comeback campaign. He is going to stick to his one statement and not address the allegations further.'

His friends, who spoke anonymously, agreed, admitting he had abused his power but refused to believe the more shocking allegations against him. 

A former colleague told People: 'He is weak and broken and ashamed by his own admission.

'He is my friend. He is human, and he is flawed. But is he going to use his power to be a predator on women? 

'Until I see solid evidence of that, I just can't believe it. We don't know the details.'

Lauer was fired last week after more than 20 years as co-host of NBC's flagship morning program after a female colleague came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

Since his firing at least seven other women have accused Lauer of similar behavior. 

Bush was fired from Today after footage emerged of him joking and laughing, while Trump claimed you could do anything to women if you were famous, including 'grab them by the p***y' (pictured on the Today show)

Bush was fired from Today after footage emerged of him joking and laughing, while Trump claimed you could do anything to women if you were famous, including 'grab them by the p***y' (pictured on the Today show)

 Bush's comeback tour isn't going quite as well as he'd hoped (he is pictured on the Colbert Report)

 Bush's comeback tour isn't going quite as well as he'd hoped (he is pictured on the Colbert Report)

Another source said that Lauer may not have ruled out a return to TV entirely, but right now he wanted to focus on his family.

The Today show veteran had released a statement after he was fired, admitting: 'Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full-time job.' 

And it does appear he has some work to do on his marriage after both he and his wife Annette Roque were seen without their wedding rings on Wednesday morning.

The former model’s father said she would divorce Lauer because she was betrayed by him, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed.

Lauer was then seen running errands around Sag Harbor, New York, with his ring finger bare - despite wearing his gold band on Monday morning.

Matt Lauer's full statement in response to the allegations against him

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. 

As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. 

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.

Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. 

It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It's been humbling. 

I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.

He was spotted just hours after Roque, 52, emerged for the first time since his firing from the Today show last week for allegations of sexual assault. 

The Dutch-born mother-of-three was also not wearing her wedding ring when she picked up breakfast after dropping off her children at school.

The two live separate lives, according to sources, and do not reside together. 

Meanwhile, Bush's comeback tour isn't going quite as well as he'd hoped.

He was fired from Today after footage emerged of him joking and laughing, while Trump claimed you could do anything to women if you were famous, including 'grab them by the p***y.'

But, while Lauer looks to fade into the background at the moment, Bush has been giving interviews to the Hollywood Reporter and Good Morning America to try and restart his stalled career.

A source told Page Six, he'd hoped to be back on America's screens within months of being fired, but was shocked when he found no one was beating down his door to speak to him. 

Another source close to Bush denied this, claiming he was simply weighing his options.

On Tuesday, Bush, 46, opened up about his firing to Stephen Colbert on Monday in his first late-night talk show appearance since he was shown the door at 30 Rock in October, 2016,.

He claimed Lauer had tried to save his job when the infamous Access Hollywood p***ygate tape was leaked during last year's presidential campaign.  

Bush says Lauer, who was spectacularly fired from his $25-million-a-year job last week following sexual harassment claims, was ready to go to senior executives at NBC to get his job back.

'We had a conversation about that and he told me that he went privately to the bosses and took that line,' Bush told Colbert after being asked if Lauer - who at the time was still on Today and had a lot of influence - had gone to bat for his coworker. 

'I said I appreciated it and thanked him.'

While Bush fights for his career, Lauer is fighting for his marriage.

Roque's father, Henri, 76, speaking from his apartment near Amsterdam, had told DailyMail.com exclusively: 'I have no words for her husband. What he has done is bad. Everybody feels betrayed.

'She is not going to stay with him and work it out. They are not together trying to work it out.' 

Mr. Roque added: '[Annette] is feeling shocked and she is now having sorrow for her children. Me too. Everybody is feeling quite sad.

'There are also the kids, I don’t know what she’s doing or who they are going to stay with.' 

Matt Lauer was seen in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday without his wedding ring, despite wearing it on Monday

Matt Lauer was seen in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday without his wedding ring, despite wearing it on Monday

Matt Lauer's wife Annette Roque was also spotted in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday, her first time being seen since Lauer's Today show firing last week 

Matt Lauer's wife Annette Roque was also spotted in Sag Harbor, New York, on Wednesday, her first time being seen since Lauer's Today show firing last week 

The Dutch-born mother-of-three was not wearing her wedding ring as she picked up breakfast after she dropped off her children at school

The Dutch-born mother-of-three was not wearing her wedding ring as she picked up breakfast after she dropped off her children at school

Mr. Roque denied reports that his daughter fled the country to be with her family in the Netherlands.

He said: 'I speak to her often. I last spoke to her on Sunday. I asked her if she was in Amsterdam, she said no, I am in the Hamptons. 

'It was all bulls**t stories. She’s not in Holland. It’s all fake news. It’s s**t news. Bulls**t news. She’s in America.'

Meanwhile, Lauer has been staying at his private Sag Harbor home, in Long Island, and was seen Monday, behind the wheel of his gray Jeep Wrangler, taking his 11-year-old son, Thijs, to school.

The disgraced 59-year-old stopped off at a gated property in nearby North Haven to pick up a friend of his son's and was still wearing his wedding ring at the time.

Sources say Lauer's marriage to Roque has been on the rocks for years and they have even been living separately.

'She's back in the Hamptons to take care of the kids,' says a source. 

'This has taken a huge toll. She's painfully thin. People at her kids' school are concerned.' 

Lauer was still wearing his wedding ring as of Monday (pictured) when he finally ventured out of his Long Island compound to do the school run

Lauer was still wearing his wedding ring as of Monday (pictured) when he finally ventured out of his Long Island compound to do the school run

While much of the country was shocked by the sexual assault news given Lauer's image as a wholesome good guy, those who knew the couple say that he was an unfaithful husband. 

Lauer's alleged history of infidelity reportedly forced his wife to keep close tabs on him when he took trips abroad because she didn't trust him.

When Roque sought to divorce Lauer years ago, Lauer reportedly offered her $5 million in cash to remain in the marriage.

The image-conscious Lauer made the cash offer because he was reportedly so concerned about how a divorce might be perceived by his audience.  

Amid reports that Lauer gave a staffer on the Today show a sex toy, sex therapist Dr Laura Berman said Monday that she gave him the toys because he wanted to spice things up with Roque. 

'We were in the makeup room and he sort of asked the makeup artist to leave,' Berman told Inside Edition.

'He asked me about sexual aids and devices. He confided in me about some of the struggles he was having in his married relationship.'

A source said that amid the scandal Lauer 'plans to disappear and play golf. He wants to be a regular Joe; to play golf and stay in the Hamptons'

A source said that amid the scandal Lauer 'plans to disappear and play golf. He wants to be a regular Joe; to play golf and stay in the Hamptons'

Berman claims Lauer didn't want to be seen going to a store to buy sex toys so she took care of it for him.

'I brought him a shopping bag filled with toys from my line that were designed for couples and spicing things up,' Berman said.

Lauer and Roque met on a blind date in 1997, the same year he took over as co-anchor of Today in place of the departing Bryant Gumbel.

While Lauer rose to television stardom with his Today show gig, Roque has been featured in Victoria's Secret catalogs as well as in advertisements for J. Crew. 

According to Page Six, Lauer, who had a reputation as a philanderer, was urged to settle down and get married by NBC executives who were concerned that his playboy image would hurt the Today show given its heavily female viewership.  

Lauer and Roque were married less than a year after they met, but it was reportedly a tumultuous union.

Three years after the birth of their first child, Jack, in 2003, Lauer and Roque separated after the newsman returned from covering the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.   

Rumors swirled that Lauer was having an affair with Natalie Morales, who was then a correspondent for the Today show. Both have vehemently denied the rumors. 

Meanwhile, ratings for the Today show without Lauer are through the roof

Meanwhile, ratings for the Today show without Lauer are through the roof

Nonetheless, Roque, who was seven months pregnant at the time, filed for divorce from Lauer, whom she accused of 'cruel and inhumane' treatment and 'extremely controlling' behavior.

'Defendant has continuously and repeatedly given higher priority to… personal interests than his family obligations to plaintiff, causing plaintiff to feel abandoned, isolated and alone in raising the parties' children,' according to court papers, which were leaked in 2014.

Roque would eventually withdraw her petition for divorce three weeks before giving birth to the couple's second child, Thijs.

There was no explanation given for why Roque had second thoughts about the divorce, though it was reported that Lauer offered her $5 million to remain in the marriage.

'Matt needed to stay in the marriage to keep his reputation as America's nicest dad,' according to a source quoted by Page Six.

'He is in fact a… very doting dad to his kids, but he is also a terrible husband.' 

Things appeared to be fine – until Lauer returned from covering the Olympics in Vancouver in early 2010.

After news reports emerged suggesting that Lauer partied hard in Canada, Roque reportedly was so angry that she and her husband began living separately.

Since 2011, Roque and her three children were reportedly living in their home in Sag Harbor, while Lauer stayed in Manhattan during the week.

The Upper East Side apartment at 133 East 64th Street was also the address of Bernie Madoff, the infamous Ponzi schemer. 

On weekends, Lauer would reportedly make the trip to Long Island to join them.

'They play happy families at their Hamptons home on weekends, and then she lets him run off to New York to do 'Today' - and goodness knows what else,' RadarOnline quoted one source as saying.

Despite her celebrity status, Roque is rarely seen in public.

When she does appear, it is usually to attend the Hampton Classic horse show. Roque and her daughter are avid equestrians.

Meanwhile, ratings for the Today show without Lauer are through the roof. 

 

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Matt Lauer 'has no intention of trying to make a comeback'

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