Matt Lauer was fired from the Today Show in 2017 after a female colleague filed a complaint of sexual misconduct. She claimed that the popular host had raped her several years earlier while they were covering the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Several other women came out with similar allegations.
The disgraced talk show host has stayed out of the public eye since the shocking scandal. However, he stepped out in a rare public appearance with his girlfriend, two months after his accuser shared shocking details of the alleged rape.
Matt Lauer Accuser Details Horrifying Assault
Sexual assault victims have the right to remain anonymous. However, Matt Lauer’s accuser chose to go public and share her story. Brooke Nevils was a producer with NBC when she worked with Matt Lauer covering the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. According to Brooke Nevils, she was sexually assaulted by the Today host in his hotel room during that time.
She filed a complaint with NBC in 2017, alleging sexual misconduct. Matt Lauer was fired less than 24 hours later after an internal investigation. He denied the allegations, claiming the encounter was consensual.
Brooke Nevils shared more details about the alleged encounter in her memoir Unspeakable Things. The book was published in February and detailed her experience of waking up in pain and being unable to walk after the alleged assault. Matt Lauer still maintains his innocence regarding all of the allegations against him.
Disgraced Today Host Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend
Matt Lauer was married to Annette Roque when the allegations made headlines. However, they immediately separated after the sexual assault claims. His estranged wife filed for divorce in 2019. The former couple shares three children.
After his fall from grace, Matt Lauer became a recluse living in Sag Harbor, New York. He was recently spotted in a rare public appearance. But he wasn’t alone. His longtime girlfriend, Shamin Abas, was at his side. Cameras captured the pair strolling in the Hamptons on March 23, 2026.
Matt Lauer was spotted out with girlfriend Shamin Abas in Sag Harbor, just weeks after his accuser Brooke Nevils dropped a memoir detailing her alleged 2014 rape. pic.twitter.com/AKf6pKCkNJ
— Eva Lozano (@itsEvaLozano) March 25, 2026
The disgraced Today Show host has reportedly been dating Shamin Abas since 2019, when his divorce was finalized, PEOPLE magazine reported. “They are happy and both busy in their own lives, as well as together. They have many of the same interests,” a source told the outlet about the couple in 2023.
While Matt Lauer lives out of the public eye now, he reportedly still hopes to return to television at some point. However, Brooke Nevils’ memoir detailing the assault could ruin those plans. For now, the disgraced talk show host seems happy living a quieter life in the Hamptons. It’s been almost a decade since the allegations came out. Tell us in the comments if you think it’s time for him to make a comeback.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
