Matt Lauer’s Nice-Guy Rep Takes A Hit With Latest Rumor

Matt Lauer has been the subject of nefarious rumors regarding the inner workings of the Today show for years. Just last month, Page Six reported that the anchor was behind the firing of a top Today exec.

Lauer has also cast himself in uncomfortable situations on-air — like the time he asked Anne Hathaway about photos of her nether regions that circulated on the web. He also raised hackles when he asked members of One Direction if Zayn Malik was absent from their recent performance because of a drug problem.

Now, Lauer's affable anchorman persona is taking a hit off-screen as well. According to a new report from The National Enquirer, the Today show host "walked out on his long-suffering wife, Annette Roque, this past summer before once again begging her back for the sake of their three kids."

Through various anonymously sourced reports, the Enquirer has been trying to paint a picture of Lauer as a "notorious womanizer" in a "train wreck of a marriage." Sure, they're unsubstantiated rumors, but Lauer's negative reputation in his professional life seems to be rearing its head in his personal life as well.

At this point, Matt Lauer's nice-guy rep is but a distant memory. (The National Enquirer)