Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Viewers Are Cracking Jokes About Matt Lauer's Absence

Thursday's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade generated plenty of buzz on social media. As Americans across the country tuned in to the annual festive event, which looks a little different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, chatter on social media eventually turned away from Al Roker and the infamous Butter Man (aka Pastor Donny Willis) and to former Today anchor Matt Lauer.

Although Lauer had once been a staple of the annual event, which is now entering its 94th year, 2020 marked his second year in a row that he has been absent. Lauer was fired from Today in November of 2017 after being accused of "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace." Although details of the allegations were initially unclear, Ronan Farrow reported on the allegations in his 2019 book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, in which former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils accused Lauer of raping her at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Lauer has since denied the allegation as "categorically false."

Since those allegations and his firing, Lauer has mostly been living life out of the spotlight. He resurfaced in May and was again seen on a yacht date with a mystery woman in July. He was not, however, been spotted among his former Today show co-hosts Thursday morning, something that prompted plenty of discussions on social media. Keep scrolling to see the Lauer discourse taking place on Twitter.