Annette Roque walked away with $20M after Matt Lauer blew up their marriage
Annette Roque reportedly received a $20 million settlement after her marriage to former NBC host Matt Lauer ended amid intense public scrutiny. The couple officially finalised their divorce in 2019 after more than two decades together. Their separation continues to be widely discussed as one of Hollywood's notable breakups.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Explore Annette Roque and Matt Lauer's love story
- July 1997: A blind date sparks a whirlwind romance
- October 1998: The couple wed in the Hamptons
- Early 2000s: The couple builds a family life
- September 2006: Roque files for divorce while pregnant
- October 2006: The couple reconciles
- November 2017: NBC fires Lauer, and the marriage breaks down
- January 2018: Matt and Annette begin asset separation
- July 2019: Roque files for divorce
- September 2019: The divorce is finalised with a $20M settlement
- Early 2026: The couple maintains a co-parenting relationship
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- Annette Roque and Matt Lauer met on a blind date in the summer of 1997 and later married on 3 October 1998.
- While pregnant with their third child, Annette Roque initially filed for divorce in September 2006, but she withdrew the filing three weeks later.
- Annette filed for divorce in July 2019, and it was finalised in September 2019, reportedly leaving her with an estimated $20 million settlement and the family's Water Mill horse farm.
- Matt Lauer has reportedly remained closely involved in the lives of his three children, Jack, Romy, and Thijs.
Explore Annette Roque and Matt Lauer's love story
Annette Roque and Matt Lauer were married for more than two decades after beginning their relationship in the 1990s. Below is a breakdown of their love story, marriage, and the reasons behind their 2019 divorce.
July 1997: A blind date sparks a whirlwind romance
Matt Lauer and Annette Roque first met in July 1997 on a blind date, when Lauer was an up-and-coming NBC Today show anchor and Roque was a Dutch-born model. Their connection was immediate, and after just five months of dating, he proposed in early 1998.
October 1998: The couple wed in the Hamptons
Source: Getty Images
Matt and Annette married on 3 October 1998, in a private ceremony at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church in New York. The wedding drew media attention and helped reinforce Matt Lauer's image as a stable, family-focused television personality.
Early 2000s: The couple builds a family life
In the early 2000s, the couple expanded their family and settled into life in the public eye. Matt Lauer and Annette Roque welcomed three children together: son Jack in June 2001, daughter Romy in October 2003, and son Thijs in November 2006.
As Lauer's national television career continued to rise, Roque focused on raising their children and keeping their home life private.
September 2006: Roque files for divorce while pregnant
In September 2006, Annette Roque filed for divorce while pregnant with their third child. Court documents reported by Newsweek cited "cruel and inhumane" treatment by Matt Lauer. The filing stated:
[Lauer] has been extremely controlling and it has endangered her mental and physical well-being.
October 2006: The couple reconciles
Source: Getty Images
Three weeks after filing, Annette Roque withdrew the divorce papers, and the couple privately reconciled. Reports suggested that both personal and professional pressures played a role in their decision to remain together. An insider quoted by Entertainment Tonight said:
Matt needed to project a family-man image. It was a business arrangement at that point.
November 2017: NBC fires Lauer, and the marriage breaks down
In November 2017, the TV personality Matt Lauer was fired from NBC amid allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour, and the fallout quickly impacted his marriage. Annette Roque was later seen without her wedding ring, while Lauer moved out of the family home. A source told People:
The damage is done. Annette is done with the excuses.
January 2018: Matt and Annette begin asset separation
By early 2018, the couple began dividing major assets, including properties in the Hamptons and Manhattan. Although they initially stayed under the same roof for their children's sake, their romantic relationship had effectively ended as legal separation began.
July 2019: Roque files for divorce
Source: Getty Images
In July 2019, Annette Roque officially filed for divorce in Suffolk County, New York. Her attorney confirmed the filing, stating:
The matter has been settled.
The filing came after nearly two years of separation and ongoing negotiations.
September 2019: The divorce is finalised with a $20M settlement
The divorce was finalised in September 2019 after more than 20 years of marriage. Annette Roque reportedly received an estimated $20 million settlement, which included assets such as the family's horse farm in Water Mill.
Early 2026: The couple maintains a co-parenting relationship
Years after their split, the former couple has maintained a functional co-parenting relationship for their three children. While they now live separate lives, insiders say their priority remains ensuring the family's stability. A source told Us Weekly:
They have found a way to co-parent that works. The focus is entirely on the kids and keeping their lives as normal as possible.
Source: Getty Images
FAQs
- Who is Annette Roque? Annette Roque is a Dutch-born former model and equestrian.
- Is Matt Lauer still married to Annette Roque? Matt Lauer and Annette Roque officially finalised their divorce in September 2019.
- Does Matt Lauer have a relationship with his kids? The TV personality reportedly maintains a close relationship and a functional co-parenting arrangement with his three children, Jack, Romy, and Thijs.
- Where does Annette Roque live now? Matt Lauer's ex-wife resides privately in the Hamptons, including time on the equestrian estate in Water Mill that she received in her divorce settlement.
- Did Annette Roque remarry? There are currently no public reports of Annette Roque remarrying since her 2019 divorce.
- When was Matt Lauer and Annette Roque's wedding? The pair tied the knot on 3 October 1998, at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church in New York.
- How much did Matt Lauer pay his ex-wife? Matt reportedly paid Annette Roque a settlement estimated at around $20 million, along with significant real estate assets, including a horse farm in Water Mill.
Annette Roque and Matt Lauer were married for more than 20 years before their relationship ended in 2019 following a highly publicised separation. Roque reportedly received a settlement of around $20 million as part of the divorce agreement. They have since moved on with their lives while continuing to co-parent their children.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
