Matt Lauer has traded TV news for TikTok. The fallen former Today show anchor, 61, has been turned up on the mobile video site TikTok where he has been singing and dancing with his 16-year-old daughter, Romy, on videos posted to her account, Page Six reports.
Nearly two years after Lauer was fired by NBC amid a series of scathing misconduct allegations in the workplace, he’s back on camera in a way like never before.
In the sure-to-be-viral TikTok video, the former morning news star played fun dad as he lip-synced to the song “Big Fun” from Heathers: The Musical . In another clip, the dad-of-two showed off his dance moves to Chance the Rapper’s “Hot Shower” while wearing a tight white shirt and athletic pants before letting his teen daughter have the spotlight.
It’s no surprise that commenters had a lot to say about Lauer’s TikTok cameos, with some joking that this must be his new career.
On Twitter, some speculated Lauer’s fun dad look is a calculated move ahead of Catch and Kill, a damning tell-all about to be released by Ronan Farrow that reportedly has NBC execs in panic mode. The bombshell book will reportedly feature detailed interviews with some of Lauer’s accusers.
“Matt Lauer’s crisis team saw the Adam Sandler video with his daughters and said, ‘Why not give it a shot?” But it’s going to take a lot more than a TikTok to prep for the Ronan Farrow book,” tweeted a PR insider.
Lauer lost his career and nearly his marriage when news broke of his alleged workplace behavior in November 2017. His wife, Annette Roque, filed for divorce earlier this year, and the divorce was finalized in September, just one month before videos of his TikTok dancing surfaced. The disgraced former newsman certainly seems carefree despite the possibility that his scandal will again be featured in the headlines.
Despite Lauer’s many past mistakes, his relationship with his ex-wife and his kids now appears to be good at the moment. Lauer and Roque were spotted together at the Hampton Classic Horse Show in late August where they got along swimmingly, a spy told In Touch Weekly .
“They spent the entire time together side by side, chatting, cheering on Romy, taking photos,” the source said. “Matt and Annette were together for hours. Annette and the kids virtually went into hiding to heal from the scandal and divorce. They’ve come out on the other side.”