Moving forward. Matt Lauer has a new girlfriend after finalizing his divorce from Annette Roque earlier this year.
The former Today show anchor, 62, is dating longtime friend Shamin Abas. In photos obtained by Us Weekly, the two were spotted boarding a flight to New Zealand together on December 19.
In Touch broke the news of Lauer and the public relations executive dating on Tuesday, December 30, revealing that the couple spent the holidays together. This is the first woman the former broadcaster has been linked to since news of his separation from Roque, 53, broke in December 2017.
Lauer and Roque, 53, were married more than 20 years — they tied the knot in 1998 — before their divorce was finalized this past September. They separated shortly after Lauer was fired from NBC in November 2017 following several allegations of sexual misconduct.
Roque — who shares three children with Lauer, Jack, 18, Romy, 16, and Thijs, 13 — filed for divorce on July 9 of this year.
A source told Us in January 2018 that Lauer “thinks he can start fresh in both his personal and professional life.”
When Lauer was fired in 2017, he responded to the allegations of sexual misconduct against him in a statement to Us.
“There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions,” Lauer said at the time. “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.”
He made headlines again in October when his former NBC colleague Brooke Nevils accused him of raping her in a hotel room when they were covering the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, according to claims made in Ronan Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators. Lauer has denied the allegations and claims that their encounters were consensual.
Below, Us rounds up five things to know about the former anchor’s new publicist girlfriend.
1. She Is a Total Boss
The public relations executive is the president of Shamin Abas Ultra-Luxury Brand Marketing & Business Development. In 2005, she created the PR firm to focus on luxury lifestyle event marketing and public relations. Her firm has worked with brands such as Ferrari North America and Jet Aviation.
2. She Is From the U.K.
Abas was born in Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, to a math professor with Middle Eastern roots and a British jazz singer.
3. They’ve Known Each Other for Years
The PR guru has been friends with Lauer for nearly a decade, having met through her work in New York City and the Hamptons.
4. She Is a Beach Lover
“Walking my dog on one of our beautiful beaches at sunrise or sunset,” Abas told Palm Beach Post in 2015 when talking about where you can find her when she’s not working. “At yoga or cooking for friends.”
5. She Once Worked on a Cruise Ship
After trying out for West Side Story on the West End in London and not landing the gig, Abas found herself in the West Indies, performing on a cruise ship, which is where she met her first husband, Palm Beach Post reported in 2010. She also did work as a voiceover artist when she first moved to New York City.
