Matt Lauer Is ‘Not Happy’ About Accuser Brooke Nevils’ Book, but Has ‘Come to Terms with Bad Press’ 

Matt Lauer is reportedly unhappy that Brooke Nevils is again speaking publicly about the sexual assault allegations she first raised years ago, though people close to him say he has largely adjusted to the continued scrutiny.

In an excerpt from her forthcoming memoir — UnspeakableThings: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe — published by The Cut on Jan. 28, Nevils revisits her alleged encounters with the former Today show anchor. Lauer was fired in 2017 after she reported what she described as sexual harassment and assault tied to the 2014 Winter Olympics.

“I have spent the long years since using my otherwise abandoned skills as a journalist to report and write the book about sexual harassment and assault that I wish had existed for me,” she wrote in the excerpt.

A source close to Lauer says he is “not happy about the publication of her book,” but is “grateful for his close circle of friends who have rallied around him during this scandal.” The source adds that Lauer is “angry” about Nevils revisiting the claims, which he has denied multiple times.

The same person says Lauer has grown tired of the public attention around the issue and has been trying to move forward with his longtime girlfriend, Shamin Abas.

Lawyers for Lauer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Nevils has said publicly that she disputes Lauer’s characterization of their relationship as consensual. In a recent interview with NPR, she argued that power dynamics can make the idea of consent more complicated.

“Consent and agreement are not synonymous,” she said. “When one person has power over the other, it’s not really consent. It’s submission.”

She also described how workplace norms can blur personal boundaries, noting that hotel rooms in her industry were often treated as extensions of the job rather than inherently social settings.

Meanwhile, sources close to Lauer describe a quieter life away from the spotlight. One person says he is settled in the Hamptons, spending time with his children and friends, and also traveling often to his property in New Zealand.

“He has a good life in the Hamptons with his kids and friends,” the source says. “He also loves his place in New Zealand and is spending a lot of time there. He has a life away from all of this scandal. He is happy. He still has a solid relationship with Shamin and is fulfilled in his personal life.”

Lauer shares three children — sons Jack, 24, and Thijs, 19, and daughter Romy, 22 — with his ex-wife, Annette Roque. The couple separated after his termination from NBC and finalized their divorce in 2019.

Another source says Lauer’s time in New Zealand has been a positive constant both before and after the controversy.

“He is so happy when he is in New Zealand. I can see him spending even more time there,” the source says. “It gets him away from the negative press in the U.S. But beyond that, he likes the people there and the healthy lifestyle.”

As for Nevils’ allegations, the source says Lauer has “always maintained that the sex was consensual,” adding that he has tried to rebuild his life outside the public narrative.

“This whole thing pretty well devastated him at first, but he has come a long way and has a life outside of the negativity,” the source says. “He loves his kids and has a romantic relationship that has been going on for years.”

A third source says Lauer has also reflected on how fame shaped him at the height of his career and describes him as more grounded now.

“Matt knows he was a superstar at NBC, a talent who related to so many who watched him daily, especially female viewers,” the source says. “He took advantage of his celebrity and has been humbled by what happened to him. In some ways, he has come to terms with the bad press. He is in a good place. Especially compared to a few years ago.”