WHAT SCANDAL?
MATT LAUER’S BEEN LYING LOW SINCE HIS CAREER — AND HIS MARRIAGE — IMPLODED FOLLOWING ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. BUT THE DISGRACED EX-TV HOST HAS BEEN KEEPING BUSY IN EXILE WITH HIS NEW LOVE.
EVER since he was fired from the Today show in 2017 amid shocking sexual assault allegations, Matt Lauer has been in virtual hiding. Holed up at Strongheart Manor, his $44 million mansion in the tony Hamptons, Long Is and, area not far from NewYork City, the disgraced former anchor was seen venturing out alone — looking pale and glum-faced — only a handful of times. But behind the scenes, the 62-year-old had privately begun a new relationship, despite his torpedoed career. And in recent weeks, he’s gone public with the striking brunette — marketing guru Shamin Abas. They looked like just another wealthy couple at a local car show on July 12, checking out the fancy wheels as Shamin snapped photos of her beau taking a spin in a $280,000 Ferrari. The day before, Matt wined and dined her in nearby Orient, where he took her for a cruise on his $1.4 million yacht, Resilient (an apt name, perhaps, for a guy hoping to resuscitate his damaged career). “Matt’s totally smitten with Shamin,” an insider dishes to Star. “This is a serious relationship, which is why he decided to go public. Matt can see it going the distance.”
DOWN-LOW LUXURY
Matt and the Welsh-born Shamin, 51, were longtime acquaintances before things took a romantic turn in the wake of his $25 million split from ex-wife Annette Roque last September. While friends turned their backs on the TV veteran after a former NBC News colleague, Brooke Nevils, 35, accused him of anally raping her in his hotel at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Japan, Shamin took his side, despite catching flak from some in her circle. “People warned her not to get involved with Matt because of his sordid past, but she wouldn’t listen,” the source spills. “Some of her friends were so disgusted, they cut ties with her altogether.”
Though they’d been staying out of sight even before quarantine, Matt and Shamin, whose eponymous PR firm counts luxury brands like Dom Perignon and Rolls-Royce among its clients, were still living the high life. “He spends a fortune on Shamin and spoils her with lavish gifts,” the tattler says of the couple, who jetted off to New Zealand last December for a romantic getaway at his sprawling $9.2 million lakeside ranch. The pal adds that Matt, who’s already introduced his love to his kids, Jack, 19, Romy, 16, and Thijs, 13, has even been perusing rings, “though he’ll get a prenup first.”
PLOTTING THE COMEBACK
Despite his seemingly carefree life, Matt’s still desperate for redemption. Accused of sexual harassment by three women in addition to Brooke, the ex-newser — who’s denied the allegations, insisting the encounters were all consensual — has reportedly been working with former Today cohost Tamron Hall on an in-depth TV interview to tell his side of the story. And with several upcoming books on the scandal, including a tell-all by his former Today coanchor Katie Couric, Unexpected, due out next year, more explosive revelations are sure to come. So Matt’s no doubt counting on Shamin to have his back. “He’d hit rock bottom, but she’s helped him regain his confidence,” shares the pal. “He hopes to make a comeback.”