Matt Lauer Plays Victim In First Interview Since Sex Scandal
July 24 2018, Updated 3:35 p.m. ET
Matt Lauer is playing victim, months after he was fired from his million-dollar host role on Today due to his sexual misconduct accusations.
In an interview with Checkpoint, the disgraced former star spoke about his luxurious Hunter Valley Station property and claimed he's being unfairly treated by the property owners after his sex scandal.
Last year, Lauer, 60, purchased the lease to his New Zealand ranch for $13 million. The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) approved his lease after he passed a good character test and agreed to allow access on the land, as well as increase farming operations.
In his talk, however, Lauer claimed the property owners now want to build a road going across the land, since they want people to have more access.
"This easement that's been proposed is being proposed to solve a problem that does not exist, and that's the misinformation that's out there and it's out there on purpose," argued the shamed TV star. "Show me the logs of the people, of Walking Access Commission and other people, of all the people who they say have been denied? They don't exist."
Lauer claimed that the only reason "this fight has been chosen now" is because the property owners know he is vulnerable.
He assured that he's never denied people access who asked for it the proper way, and he is simply being targeted.
"In the year and a half or year plus that I've owned it, I've invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve the property and now a year later they come and say 'oh wait a minute, we granted you this lease under this set of rules. We'd like to change the rules.' I don't think that's fair," he continued.
RadarOnline.com readers know Lauer lost his job and his wife after his very public sex scandal. In the past few months, he's only been spotted roaming outside of him home a handful of times, and sources have claimed that wife Annette Roque wants nothing to do with him.
"I believe the groups that are behind this are in some ways unfortunately taking advantage of some difficult times I've been through over the past six months and I think they see me as an easy mark," said Lauer, of his recent issues with the property owners and residents in the area. "And what they're going to try to do is put this through, which would set a precedent because this has not been done ever before with a pastoral lease holder or property owner without that person's consent."
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"I want to just tell people that this is not just about me. That precedent will then be used for other property owners. This is not a one off," he added, saying that he might seek compensation if the issue continues.
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