What Does Matt Lauer Do For A Living Now? Inside The Former NBC News Star's Life

Early one morning in November 2017, an emotional Savannah Guthrie announced that her colleague, Matt Lauer, was being released from his duties at NBC News, effective immediately, due to accusations of sexual misconduct from a female co-worker. Since Lauer had been serving as an anchor on the "Today" show for about two decades at that stage, fans of the show and fellow NBC employees alike were stunned by the news — especially since Lauer was typically presented as someone with high standards, who effortlessly tackled challenging, powerful stories. His embarrassing and shame-filled departure was seen as one of the biggest scandals to ever hit morning television, and Lauer's then-wife, Annette Roque, officially moved to divorce him in 2019 due to all of the claims being made against the anchor  

But things have changed for Lauer since his firing. In 2024, a close friend of the disgraced former NBC anchor informed People that he was enjoying a low-key but fulfilling life in the Hamptons, surrounded by a small group of trusted pals. The source further noted that Lauer is currently unemployed, but they quickly added that he doesn't need to work, arguing, "He was a journalist at heart and he did some impactful political interviews that spanned his career, but the current cycle of politics isn't anything even people who have been doing it for a long time are really excited to cover." 

However, the insider also confirmed that Lauer is continually looking for his next project. The journalist's dismissal from NBC also allowed the former "Today" show co-anchor the opportunity to refocus on his three children. As another source pointed out, "Matt is a good father and has spent needed time with them during their teen years." 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

When Matt Lauer was fired from NBC News, he was intentional about not appearing in public and remained quite distant from many of the journalist friends he'd made throughout his storied career. But as the disgraced former anchor's buddy explained to People, "He wasn't really talking to any of his old friends. Over the past year, he's been reconnecting with friends and texting them and talking on the phone." During a January 2025 appearance on the "Hollywood Raw" podcast,  Don Lemon disclosed that he and Matt Lauer, who is now, understandably, among the talk show hosts we no longer hear from, became friends after Lauer's scandal.

Lemon revealed that they often spend time together, and he believes the public would be open to seeing the former NBC stalwart back on their screens to boot. More than that, he reckons they miss Lauer too — especially female viewers. "Maybe there is a way that he'll come back," Lemon opined, adding, "But I think it's more of the people who are inside of the business who are concerned about what happened with Matt." However, users on X, formerly known as Twitter, didn't agree with that assessment. 

As one wrote simply, "Nope, I don't miss Matt Lauer. Haven't thought about him in years." Another unimpressed commenter proclaimed, "Guess they think with Trump, his slew of sexual harassers and criminals it's ok to polish him up [and] bring him back." Lauer continues to enjoy a relatively private life following his firing, alongside long-term partner Shamin Abas, whom Lauer has been dating since finalizing his divorce in 2019, though the happy couple did make an appearance at Lemon's April 2024 wedding.