Matt Lauer's first wife says disgraced NBC anchor 'needs to be given a chance'

Matt Lauer and Nancy Alspaugh have been divorced since 1988, but she thinks he deserves a second chance.

Matt Lauer's ex-wife thinks the former NBC anchor deserves a second chance after being fired from the “Today” show for inappropriate sexual behavior last year at the height of the #MeToo movement.

Nancy Alspaugh, who was married to Lauer from 1981 to 1988, told ETOnline that her ex-husband can still make a positive impact despite his tarnished reputation.

“He wants to be part of the change in this world and he needs to be given a chance,” Alspaugh told the CBS-owned entertainment site. "I see him starting a new life and career. He is too talented not to have a great career. He made mistakes, but he can move on and upward.”

She also thinks the disgraced anchor will be “back working in no time” and people shouldn’t forget the good things he did prior to his shocking firing last November.

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"Matt has always been a support to his family and loved ones," Alspaugh told ETOnline. "He has done so much quietly to help others and to support important causes.

"He donated a tremendous amount to my autism charity, ACT Today. Many people don't know that through all his hard work, he has been able to give back and has made a difference in this world. Matt never did this for the thanks and would like nothing more than to continue to give back to society,” she said.

Alspaugh told ETOnline that Lauer hasn’t been given a chance to defend himself. He was axed after a secret meeting where his alleged victim and her lawyer told NBC brass her story of inappropriate sexual behavior from the long-time "Today Show" host. The alleged incident took place at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and numerous other accusations have surfaced since the initial report.

“I hope one day soon he will be able to tell his story," Alspaugh said. “He is beginning to feel like himself again, and people will finally hear his side of the story."

Alspaugh complimented Lauer’s broadcast skills and said he is “equally good” behind the camera.

"He is a tremendous storyteller, a documentarian… so I am sure this will work out for him,” she told the site.

Last week, an expose in Esquire painted the Peacock Network as a “boys’ club” that ignored a culture of sexual misconduct with a focus on Lauer.

After an internal review, NBC declared earlier this year that NBC News management was completely oblivious to Lauer’s pervy past. The controversial review was conducted by in-house counsel despite calls for an independent investigation. The findings directly contradict a recent Washington Post bombshell that Ann Curry complained to two senior managers about Lauer’s behavior.

Annette Roque and Matt Lauer have been married since 1998. They share three children. (Reuters)

Lauer is in the process of finalizing a divorce with his second wife, Dutch former model Annette Roque, who he married in 1998. Page Six reported last month that Lauer and Roque’s divorce — filed in January, two months after the scandal broke — is close to being settled.

Fox News’ Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.