Matt Lauer Is Dating Longtime Friend Shamin Abas After Annette Roque Divorce

Credit: In Touch/MEGA

Matt Lauer Is Dating Longtime Friend Shamin Abas After Annette Roque Divorce

Officially moving on. Matt Lauer is reportedly dating his longtime friend Shamin Abas after finalizing his divorce from Annette Roque. In Touch reports that the pair spent the holiday together. The magazine broke the news of Lauer and Abas’ relationship on Tuesday, December 31. In photos obtained by Us Weekly, the 62-year-old former Today show anchor can be seen boarding a flight to New Zealand with the public relations executive on December 19. Lauer and Roque, 53, called it quits in November 2017 after he was fired from NBC. The network cut ties with the disgraced anchor after several allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him. The former couple, who share sons Jack, 18, and Thijs, 13, and daughter Romy, 16, finalized their divorce in September 2019. They wed in 1998. “Matt is moving forward with a very positive outlook,” an insider told Us at the time. “He is getting along much better with Annette.” [jwplayer J4ZI7tNr-l3ahXupL] In October, however, new allegations against Lauer surfaced. His NBC News colleague Brooke Nevils alleged that he raped her in a hotel room while they were covering the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, which the former host vehemently denied. After the accusations made headlines, a source told Us that Roque has “been through hell” amid the scandal. “Annette wanted out of the marriage for a long time. She stayed for Matt’s career — and, more important, for their kids,” the insider said. “Matt has always been a ladies’ man. There were cracks in the marriage from very early on.” More recently, Hilary Gumbel, a close friend of Lauer, told Us that he was doing “OK” after the fallout of the accusations. “My husband [Bryant Gumbel] is a very loyal friend, which is lovely, and he’s doing as best as he can. We get together every now and then,” Gumbel said. “The kids are doing much better, which means a lot.” Scroll through to see the pics of Lauer and Abas at the airport:

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Just Like Us?

Lauer and Abas pushed their own luggage before they checked in.

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On the Move

The twosome stayed close as they made their way through the airport.

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Seeing Double?

An eyewitness told In Touch that individuals on board Lauer and Abas’ flight to New Zealand were discussing her resemblance to Roque.

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Spotted

“Some people thought it was Annette,” the eyewitness told the magazine.

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Airport Attire

Abas wore for a white button-down shirt and khaki pants for the flight. She completed her look with a scarf around her neck.

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Keeping a Low Profile

Lauer opted for a New York Yankees cap and sunglasses for the flight.

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New Zealand Bound

An insider previously told Us that Lauer and Roque split their properties in their divorce settlement. According to the source, the former anchor got to keep their New Zealand land.

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Living Large

Lauer’s New Zealand property is Hunter Valley Station, a $9 million lakefront farm.

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Time to Fly

Abas was all smiles during the trip to the airport.

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Speaking Out

Lauer admitted in October that he was unfaithful to Roque after Nevils made the allegations against him. He denied, however, that their relationship was nonconsensual.

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His Side

“We engaged in a variety of sexual acts. … Each act was mutual and completely consensual,” he said in a letter shared with Us in October.