Matt Lauer made a surprise appearance at a luncheon at his exclusive golf club in Southampton on Thursday, which was all the more surprising considering it was a ladies-only event. Sources say the infamous Today host arrived alone during a special event hosted by club members at the ultra-swanky Sebonac Golf Club.
“Of all the men at the club, he was the only one to walk in,” a source said. “There was no reason for him to be there…he was hiding.” “The head waiter took him to a private area where he ate lunch,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the ladies tried on some glamorous Links shoes, the new luxury golf brand, and enjoyed a private lunch in the clubhouse. I heard that Mr. Lauer was sitting nearby eating lunch by himself. An avid golf fan, sources familiar with him say he’s been a member of the club for several years, with memberships starting at around $500,000.
The source added that it was not uncommon to see him strolling the grounds and that he was a “darling” at Sebonac. “They are taking very good care of him there,” said the source. According to sources, Lauer’s girlfriend Shamin Abbas, who had been dating for three years, had not been seen on the premises.
Since NBC News was fired from Today in 2017 over allegations of sexual misconduct in the early days of the #MeToo movement, the sickly newscaster has spent most of his time in the Hamptons. The first public appearance he made after his fall was at a private Bon Jovi show in East Hampton in 2021.
Friends of his said earlier this year that Lauer was considering a return to television news.
Lauer was fired from a long-running performance after alleging that producer Brooke Nevilles anally raped him in a hotel room while covering the 2014 NBC Sochi Winter Olympics. He said their exchange was consensual.