Caught! Disgraced 'TODAY' Anchor Matt Lauer Dating Longtime Friend & Ex-Wife Look-Alike Shamin Abas
See exclusive photos of the secret couple jetting away together for the holidays!
Dec. 31 2019, Updated 6:21 p.m. ET
Disgraced former TODAY anchor Matt Lauer is dating his longtime friend Shamin Abas, and RadarOnline.com obtained photos of the lovebirds on a romantic holiday in New Zealand.
InTouch magazine broke the news that Lauer, 62, moved on from his ex-wife after his sex scandal and divorce drama.
The duo boarded a flight together on December 19, and onlookers couldn't help but notice Abas' uncanny resemblance to Lauer’s ex-wife, Annette Roque.
“Some people thought it was Annette,” an eyewitness told InTouch about spotting Lauer with the brunette.
The couple flew to Lauer’s $9 million lakefront farm, Hunter Valley Station, in New Zealand, where they spent the holiday together.
In photos obtained by RadarOnline.com, Lauer and Abas are seen landing in Auckland on Saturday, December 21, and transferring to another plane for a domestic flight. They were captured landing in Queenstown later in the day.
Lauer was wearing a light blue sweater and a New York Yankees baseball cap as he tried to go incognito through the airports. Abas was wearing a white button-down blouse with a scarf tied around her neck.
RadarOnline.com readers know Lauer’s divorce was finalized on September 6.
“The divorce decree has been signed by both parties. It is official,” a clerk for the Suffolk County Supreme Court told RadarOnline.com.
Roque filed for divorce in 2017 following her husband’s sex scandal. Several women accused the former TODAY host of sexual misconduct, resulting in his firing from the morning show.
In July, Lauer and Roque reached a multimillion-dollar agreement following a tumultuous two years.
She was expected to receive up to $20 million following the divorce settlement apart from keeping the pair’s Hamptons horse farm.
The two were married for over 20 years and share three children: Jack, 18, Romy, 16, and Thijs, 13.
Lauer was let go from NBC in 2017 following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. But in his explosive new book, journalist Ronan Farrow claimed the true reason the shamed former TODAY host was fired was because he sexually assaulted a fellow colleague.
In Catch and Kill, the writer revealed his interview with Brooke Nevils, the former NBC News employee whose complaint about Lauer led to his dismissal. Neither her identity nor her allegations had been made public until the book was released.
“In a new book, it is alleged that an extramarital, but consensual, sexual encounter I have previously admitted having, was in fact an assault. It is categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense,” Lauer told Variety via his legal team on October 9.
“I had an extramarital affair with Brooke Nevils in 2014. It began when she came to my hotel room very late one night in Sochi, Russia. We engaged in a variety of sexual acts. We performed oral sex on each other, we had vaginal sex, and we had anal sex. Each act was mutual and completely consensual.”
He went on to claim the affair lasted until 2017, and the pair was on good terms until his firing.
After Lauer was fired from NBC, he released an apology, saying that while not all the accusations against him were true, there was enough truth to them to make him feel ashamed.
Scroll through the gallery to see the new exclusive photos of Matt Lauer with his new girlfriend, Shamin Abas.
Christmas Abroad
Lauer and Abas jetted off to New Zealand the week before Christmas. Though they tried to remain low-key about their getaway, a photographer snapped them looking cozy at the airport.
Independent Woman
Abas pushed her own cart of luggage after the couple landed in New Zealand.
Grinning From Ear To Ear
Abas was all smiles at the beginning of their secret vacation.
Look of Love
Abas wore a pair of classic tan pants and left the top buttons of her blouse undone as she walked behind Lauer after deplaning.
Free At Last
Traveling all the way around the world, the couple looked happy to finally be on vacation.
You Can’t See Me
Lauer covered up in a baseball cap and sunglasses as they landed in the country.
All The Necessities
The carefree couple carried their luggage off the plane.
Packing Light
Abas and Lauer had several bags each for the long trip.
Miserable Marriage
Lauer’s ex-wife’s only regret “is that she didn’t divorce Matt sooner,” an insider told Us Weekly earlier this year. “Annette wanted out of the marriage for a long time. She stayed for Matt’s career — and, more important, for their kids.”
Finally Over
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“In the past five years, she’s been through hell,” the insider said about Roque’s decision to finally divorce Lauer.
Land Battle
Lauer was in a bitter fight over his New Zealand property and locals were demanding the greedy former TV star “do the right thing,” about the land he leased from the government. He was accused of restricting public access through the South Island property to Hawea Conservation Park, one of the country’s most pristine areas.
Litmus Test
A stipulation in Lauer’s New Zealand property lease requires the applicant to “continue to be of good character.” A six-month investigation by the country’s overseas investment office concluded in June 2018 and ruled that he could continue to lease the land.
Motoring On
Lauer and his girlfriend drove away in a white SUV for their romantic Christmas vacation in New Zealand.
