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Matt Lauer’s ex-wife, Annette Roque released a public statement in response to bombshell allegations of rape against the former ‘TODAY’ show host. The new details emerged from excerpts from the soon-to-be-released Ronan Farrow book, “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and Conspiracy to Protect Predators.
Matt Lauer's ex-wife spoke out after new allegations of sexual assault were brought up against the now-disgraced TV anchor.
Annette Roque's statement comes in response to bombshell allegations of rape detailed in Ronan Farrow’s new book, “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and Conspiracy to Protect Predators."
“In response to your inquiry, our client has asked us to tell you that now that the parties are officially divorced, her priority and only concern is for their wonderful children,” Roque’s lawyer John M. Teitler told People. “Our client will make no further statements.”
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The couple is parents to sons Thijs, 12, and Jack, 18, and daughter Romy, 16.
The former "Today" show host, 61, and the former model, 52, were married for more than 20 years but split two years ago after Lauer's career was upended by sexual misconduct allegations.
Annette Roque broke her silence on new allegations against her ex-husband, Matt Lauer. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Apollo)
A Suffolk County Supreme Court judge signed the divorce papers in September, court spokesman Lucian Chalfen confirmed to Fox News, after Roque filed for divorce in July.
Lauer, who was fired from NBC News for sexual misconduct in 2017, is accused of new sex crimes in graphic detail by Variety, which reported that the bombshell claims would be included in Farrow’s upcoming book.
The outlet reports Lauer anally raped an NBC News colleague, Brooke Nevils, at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia while she claims she was intoxicated.
"In response to your inquiry, our client has asked us to tell you that now that the parties are officially divorced, her priority and only concern is for their wonderful children."
Lauer denied the graphic rape claim in a strongly worded letter via his lawyer on Wednesday, in which the former “Today” co-host said he was initially quiet for the sake of his children -- but will now defend himself.
“It is alleged that an extramarital, but consensual, sexual encounter I have previously admitted having, was in fact an assault. It is categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense,” Lauer wrote.
“I had an extramarital affair with [a colleague] in 2014. It began when she came to my hotel room very late one night in Sochi, Russia. We engaged in a variety of sexual acts... each act was mutual and completely consensual,” Lauer added.
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Nevils, 35, excoriated Lauer in a letter to NBC News, calling Lauer's written denial of her allegations "a case study in victim blaming."
"There's the Matt Lauer that millions of Americans watched on TV every morning for two decades, and there is the Matt Lauer who this morning attempted to bully a former colleague into silence," Nevins wrote, in part, according to NBC News. "His open letter was a case study in victim blaming. … I am not afraid of him now, regardless of his threats, bullying, and the shaming and predatory tactics I knew he would (and now has) tried to use against me.”
NBC News addressed the new claims by reading a statement on air.
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“Matt Lauer’s conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time. That’s why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint. Our hearts break again for our colleague,” the statement read.
Fox News' Brian Flood and Jessica Napoli contributed to this report.
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