Living with regret. Throughout the public demise of Annette Roque’s marriage to disgraced Today host Matt Lauer, who was fired by NBC amid sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, the former model remained tight-lipped and poised. As the exes hammered out the details of their multimillion-dollar divorce, which was finalized in September, Roque, 52, dedicated her life to being a stay-at-home mom.
But with new and shocking accusations being leveled at her ex — Lauer’s former NBC News colleague Brooke Nevils alleges that he raped her in a hotel room while they were covering the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a claim he strenuously denies — Roque is finally lifting the lid on the torment she endured during their 20-plus-year union.
Roque has said that her children are her priority, and she doesn’t regret leaving. The only regret she has “is that she didn’t divorce Matt sooner,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.
The insider continues, “Annette wanted out of the marriage for a long time … She stayed for Matt’s career — and, more important, for their kids,” Jack, 18, Romy, 16, and Thijs, 12. “But in the past five years, she’s been through hell.”
For more on Roque and Lauer, 61, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
With reporting by Jen Heger
