On the heels of the latest Hollywood swamp scandal starring Matt Lauer, it’s been reported that he’s attempting to grab the monetary remainder of his contract with NBC.
He gets paid $20,000,000 per year and had 1.5 years left on his contract, so he and his lawyers are aiming for the full $30 million.
Eight women thus far have spoken out against the NBC host, with one revealing the details about the creepy desk button that locks his door.
In many of NBC’s official statements, the network carefully says that “current” NBC management was not aware of Lauer’s issues. This insinuates that former NBC execs, including Lauer’s good chum and ex-chairman Jeff Zucker, knew all along what Lauer was doing. One of the women interviewed by Variety said this: “The network protected the s–t out of Matt Lauer.”
So back to the contract… most of these, especially high profile ones, contain a morality clause. We can probably assume NBC had this in his clause as it’s not unheard of in the business. And according to some NBC insiders, they’ve said there is no way they will pay out the remainder of his contract.
NBC finally and officially spoke out, stating that his last paycheck from them is it.
Lauer’s lawyers are working o/t trying to find a way to get any money out of the contract and company that they can.
While the rest of America was a bit stunned by the news, Lauer’s victims told Variety “I don’t know what everyone is so surprised by. This has been going on for months and months and everybody knew it and it was just going to be which girl came forward, and who reported it first.”
Another victim said to the New York Post, “Everybody knew about Matt’s behavior, and everyone had to put up with it because he was so powerful, and well protected by management.”
Lauer said he is focused on his family now after his firing (aren’t they all?) He has been married to Dutch model Annette Roque for nearly 20 years and they have three children together: Jack, 16, Romy, 14, and Thijs, 11.
