Matt Lauer Breaks Silence to Address Misconduct Allegations

For the first time in nearly five months, former TODAY Show host Matt Lauer decided on Thursday to speak up regarding the sexual misconduct allegations made against him by a former co-worker in November.

The comments were made via a statement to The Washington Post.

“I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over these past several months. I remained silent in an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of the privacy they have lost,” Lauer said.

“But defending my family now requires me to speak up. I fully acknowledge that I acted inappropriately as a husband, father and principal at NBC. However I want to make it perfectly clear that any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false.”

Lauer’s employment with NBC was terminated on Nov. 29 when an unnamed NBC employee came forward with accusations that he had sexually harassed her while the two were reporting on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia, and continued to do so when they returned to the United States.

As the days passed numerous additional women came forward with complaints towards Lauer, building up a timeline of debauchery during his tenure with NBC that lasted 20 years.

In his initial response, Lauer released a statement saying that some of the accusations were false, but others were true “enough” that he felt ashamed.

“There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC,” the apology begins. “Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.”

Recent reports regarding Lauer have indicated he’s not in the best shape emotionally, living alone in the Hamptons while his wife, Annette Roque, moves forward with divorce proceedings.

“Matt cut himself off from the life he knew in Manhattan and has remained for the most part isolated,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “He looks exhausted. Matt is finally coming to terms with the reality that his marriage is over and he is in bad shape. He feels he lost everything important in his life overnight. He is embarrassed and ashamed.”