Matt Lauerrang in the new year with some new company.
The formerTodayshow anchor, 62, was spotted in New Zealand over the holidays, vacationing with his new flame Shamin Abas.
Though this is one of the first times that Abas and Lauer have been seen together in public, the duo have known each other and been friends for years.
Abas, a successful Welsh businesswoman, works in marketing and events around New York, including the Hamptons, and in Palm Beach, Florida. She often works with high-end luxury clients and travels around the world for her job.
Matt Lauer, Shamin Abas.Jason Kempin/Getty; Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan/Getty
Back in September, multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE that Lauer finalized his divorce from ex-wifeAnnette Roqueafter over 20 years of marriage.
Weeks after the formerTodayhost was fired, PEOPLE confirmed he and Roque wereno longer wearing their wedding rings, though a source at the time said Lauer was “fighting to save the marriage.”
“He doesn’t want a divorce,” the source said. “Both of them, their first thought is their children.”
In July, however, Roque, 53, officially submitted the paperwork for divorce in Suffolk County, New York. The ex-couple agreed to share custody of their kids as part of the divorce.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Since his firing, Lauer has maintained an extremely low profile in the Hamptons, and a source told PEOPLE this fall that he continues to “lay very low.”
“He went from being the biggest deal and being able to do whatever he wanted to being an outcast and it’s been a bitter pill to swallow,” the source continued.
The source also added that Lauer’s circle has only gotten smaller since former NBC News employeeBrooke Nevilsalleged that Laueranally raped her in his hotel roomat the Sochi Olympics. (Lauer also denied these claims and argued that it was consensual.)
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go toonline.rainn.org.
source: people.com
