Credit: Entertainment Daily
Finding a replacement for Matt Lauer will not be that easy. It is being reported that Lauer made sure that all viable reporters or co-hosts who could have taken his spot did not have the fruitful careers they were supposed to have.
According to Closer and Page Six, a jealous Lauer worked behind the scenes to make sure that others never really accomplished their goals or shine enough to be considered as a substitute.
A source claimed that Lauer, who was planning to retire in 2018, never felt that anyone despite their talent or background was good enough to take his empty chair.
It has been revealed in numerous media outlets that Lauer allegedly sabotaged his former colleague, Billy Bush.
Bush was outed during the 2016 election after a disturbing video emerged where Donald Trump was having a lewd conversation with him about grabbing women’s private parts.
While Mr. Trump went on to win the election and become president, Bush was shamed for not standing up for the actress and lost his job. It appears that Lauer had a say on the firing of Bush.
Page Six also stated that Lauer also made certain moves for David Gregory and Josh Elliott to be unprepared for high profile gigs.
The source told the New York media outlet: “Matt killed off, in their infancy, every man who could succeed him at the time that he was ready to hang it up. So there’s nobody to take his place. And now NBC is paying the price.”
Another person told Closer: “Matt is going to do a lot of damage to the show when he leaves. because no one is being groomed to take over his job.”
Meanwhile, Hollywood Life claimed that Lauer was destroyed by the scandal and is sorry for hurting his wife, Annette Roque, and their three children — Jack Matthew, 16; Romy, 14; and Thijs, 11.
An insider shared: “Matt‘s kids already struggle with their dad’s fame, they are not comfortable with it under normal circumstances, and this obviously makes it a million times worse. It is a huge blow for them. He is doing everything he can right now to minimize the damage to them; he is heartbroken over what this might do to his kids.”
The tipster claimed: “Without work keeping him away, Matt is doing his best to be a good, present father for his kids during this challenging time. Matt fears his marriage with wife Annette may not survive this scandal. He knows that if there is any chance of salvaging his damaged marriage that he must do everything he can to protect not only his children but his wife, too.”
According to reports, several names have emerged as potential contenders for Lauer’s coveted spot on TODAY.
Among them are Megyn Kelly, Ann Curry, Willie Geist, and Craig Melvin.
Many predict that Melvin, the current host of MSNBC Live weekdays and co-host of NBC’s TODAY on Saturdays, will get the job.
