Who Is Matt Lauer’s Ex-Wife? What to Know About Annette Roque

Matt Lauer and Annette Roque were married for more than 20 years before divorcing in 2019.

Their split came two years after Lauer’s November 2017 firing from NBC over allegations of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” One former NBC employee, Brooke Nevils, accused Lauer of raping her during the 2014 Winter Olympics. While Lauer later denied raping Nevils in a 2019 letter to Variety, he acknowledged in a 2017 statement that there was “enough truth in these stories” to make him feel “embarrassed and ashamed,” per CBS News.

Nevils is now sharing her story in her new memoir, Unspeakable Things: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe, out Feb. 3. In an excerpt published by The Cut in January 2026, Nevils detailed the alleged assault, writing that the pain she experienced the next morning was “undeniable.”

Roque has largely remained silent about the accusations, saying in an October 2019 statement that their three children — Jack, Romy and Thijs — are her “priority and only concern.” Roque and Lauer met on a blind date and married in 1998. She filed for divorce in 2006 — alleging that he had committed “cruel and inhumane” acts against her — but called off the split three weeks later. They ultimately divorced in 2019.

So, who is Matt Lauer’s ex-wife? Here’s everything to know about Annette Roque.

She and Lauer met on a blind date

Freelance stylist Maria Santoro set up the pair for a date in July 1997.

“They had a drink, he got her number, and that was it,” a friend of the couple told PEOPLE in 1998. “There was definitely a connection.”

They wed in 1998

Lauer and Roque got engaged five months after meeting. They eventually tied the knot on Oct. 3, 1998, in Bridgehampton, N.Y., per the Chicago Tribune.

She and Lauer share three children

Lauer and Roque welcomed their first child, son Jack, in June 2001, followed by daughter Romy in October 2003 and son Thijs in November 2006.

She filed for divorce in 2006 before reconciling with Lauer

Roque briefly filed for divorce in 2006, according to Newsweek. She claimed Lauer committed “cruel and inhumane” acts against her that endangered her mental and physical well-being.

Despite the allegations, Roque withdrew the court papers three weeks after filing them.

Roque and Lauer divorced in 2019

Shortly after Lauer’s firing from NBC in 2017, the couple separated. Roque eventually filed for divorce in 2019.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Lauer agreed to pay Roque up to $20 million in their settlement and share custody of their three children.