Matt Lauer's First Wife Says He Deserves a Second Chance

Matt Lauer's first wife has spoken out about the disgraced anchor, saying that she believes he deserves a second chance.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Nancy Alspaugh — who was married to Lauer from 1981 until 1988 — opened up about the man who she says is "wonderful" and "a loving father" even though he "has made mistakes."

"Matt has always been a support to his family and loved ones. He has done so much quietly to help others and to support important causes," she said. "He donated a tremendous amount to my autism charity, ACT Today.

"Many people don't know that through all his hard work, he has been able to give back and has made a difference in this world," Alspaugh added. "Matt never did this for the thanks and would like nothing more than to continue to give back to society."

She went on to praise his fatherhood more, as well as say that she is confident he will be "back working in no time." She also stated that he is considering starting his own production company.

"He has cut himself off, but he wants to be part of the change in this world and he needs to be given a chance. It could be behind or in front of the camera," Alspaugh explained. "He will never stop recording life and sharing that with the world. He is a tremendous storyteller, a documentarian. He is equally good in front and behind the cameras, so I am sure this will work out for him.

"I don't think he's been given a chance to defend himself, and I hope one day soon he will be able to tell his story," she continued. "I'm sure it will be soon. He is beginning to feel like himself again, and people will finally hear his side of the story."

Alspaugh also shared details about Lauer's divorce from his second wife, Annette Roque, saying that it has been "rough" on both of them.

"Their very public divorce has been a different experience than what Matt and I faced," she said. "In terms of ending our marriage, we took the easy route. We both just felt it was time to move on because of our careers.

"I think we could have made it work. I had too much pride," Alspaugh added. "We have discussed this and agree, if we worked harder and we had put our marriage before our careers, we might have saved our marriage and had a future together."

Finally, Alspaugh also said that she is confident Lauer will find love again and "move on" to the next chapter of his life.