Matt Lauer is reportedly hatching a plan to return to TV with help from one of his best friends. Sources say the disgraced Today host flew to Florida to secretly meet with Bryant Gumbel about mounting a television comeback.
In early January, eyewitnesses spotted Lauer at an airport in West Palm Beach, where he tried to arrive under the radar. The former TV host, who was fired from NBC’s Today over sexual misconduct allegations, wore sunglasses and a hat in a desperate attempt to blend in with the crowd.
Megyn Kelly’s former NBC boss regrets putting her on ‘Today,’ calls Matt Lauer a ‘grenade’ https://t.co/vugh4NqL8e pic.twitter.com/U5k4yq7VD9
— Elma Holt (@ElmaElmacholt) January 16, 2019
Inside sources told Radar Online that Lauer was in Florida to meet with Gumbel about returning to television. After Kathie Lee Gifford’s exit from Today, Lauer apparently believes he has a shot at landing her old post.
“Matt and Bryant are still extremely close friends,” a source dished.
Before leaving NBC, Lauer was making a whopping $25 million a year. But his career came crashing down after an employee accused him of sexual misconduct during an incident that happened at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The network launched a full investigation into the allegations and discovered more victims. When it was all said and done, some media outlets were reporting that Lauer sexually harassed up to ten women.
Lauer lost everything amid the sexual misconduct scandal. Not only was he fired from NBC, but he also split from his wife, Annette Roque, in a divorce that cost him an estimated $20 million.
It is unclear if Lauer will ever be able to return to television, but he certainly has an uphill battle ahead of him. He has not commented on the comeback rumors.
From Dan Rather and Roger Ailes to Matt Lauer and Megyn Kelly, here are 7 TV news titans who it turns out were not too big to fail: https://t.co/pUVxIrub48 pic.twitter.com/3sixn2Ptbu
— ADWEEK (@Adweek) January 14, 2019
While Lauer attempts to return to NBC, his former colleague, Meghan Kelly, just agreed to a massive exit deal with the network. Kelly will be receiving about $30 million as part of the deal, which officially ends her short stint on Today. Kelly was let go after making questionable remarks about blackface last Halloween.
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Matt Lauer has not commented on the rumors of his comeback.
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