While this holiday season will likely be rough for the Lauer family, Matt Lauer’s wife, Annette Roque has committed to staying with Lauer through the holiday season for the sake of their three children. Multiple sources have said that Annette Roque is planning to leave the marriage, but right now she is in protective mode, and her primary concern is helping the three Lauer children survive through the new year.
Annette Roque and Matt Lauer Have Lived Separately For Ten Years
Matt Lauer and Annette Roque have been leading separate lives for years, according to many people who know the couple, and Annette Roque has built her life around caring for Jack, Romy, and Thijs Lauer in the Hamptons. While Matt Lauer was employed by Today , he lived in NYC during the week and visited with the family on weekends.
Friends of the Lauers say that things changed in 2006 when Annette Roque filed for divorce for the first time from Matt Lauer claiming that he was cruel to her, and was playing no role in raising their children.
“Defendant [Matt Lauer] has continuously and repeatedly given higher priority to … personal interests than his family obligations to plaintiff, causing plaintiff to feel abandoned, isolated and alone in raising the parties’ children.”
Annette Roque withdrew her filing weeks later after sources say she was paid $5 million as a post-nuptial agreement to stay in the marriage.
Annette Roque Is Hoping To Hold It Together Through The Holidays
A source close to the Lauer family says that while Annette Roque is ready to leave her marriage to Matt Lauer, she is waiting for the right time, and ccwill keep the family intact through the holidays, says Hollywood Life .
“Annette is best for her kids and that is putting on a brave face while carrying on through at least the holiday season as a family together. Annette is making the bold decision, as hard as it has been on her, not to leave Matt right now.”
The same source says that Annette Roque intends to grin and bear it through the holidays in order to protect her children with Matt Lauer.
“[Annette will] hold her breath through the holidays, as painful as the entire ordeal has been for her.”
But after the new year, Annette Roque is said to be planning some big changes, as she is ready to move on now that the Matt Lauer scandal and all its details have been made public. Roque and Lauer have been sleeping in separate bedrooms in their Hamptons estate, and Matt Lauer is anticipating Roque filing for divorce.
Matt Lauer’s wife of twenty years, Annette Roque, has reportedly left the country https://t.co/KJOF2VlTFB
— New York Magazine (@NYMag) December 2, 2017
Matt Lauer Is Hoping Annette Roque Will Give It Another Try
But while the source says that Annette Roque is biding her time through the holidays before filing for divorce from Matt Lauer, People is saying that Lauer has not given up on the marriage. Both Annette Roque and Matt Lauer have been seen around the Hamptons minus their wedding rings since Lauer was fired from Today , but a friend of Lauer says that Matt Lauer wants to save the marriage.
“[Matt Lauer] is fighting to save the marriage. He doesn’t want a divorce. Both of them, their first thought is their children.”
Annette Roque was the first one to take off her wedding ring and asked Lauer to do the same. The Children of Roque and Lauer are aware of the tension.
“[Roque is] angry, so she took off her ring. She wanted him to take off his ring, too.”
Friends say that Matt Lauer is “weak and broken” and is hoping to get another chance from Annette Roque in order to keep their family together. Matt Lauer reportedly has no interest in returning to television and his career in journalism, as he was already thinking about retiring before the Lauer sexual harassment scandal broke.