With the one-year anniversary of the longtimeTodayshow anchor’s termination coming up on Thursday, a source tells PEOPLE that Lauer, 60, and Roque, 51, went through a challenging time in the months after his exit as they grappled with the news — and what it meant for their relationship.
“They wereworking through their issues at first— they were never hopeful of working it out,” says the source. “But it took her a long time to work through it.”
“Annette needed time to figure out what she wanted and wrap her head around it all,” continues the source. “From the beginning, it was never like ‘We are done.’ It was like, ‘What is this?’ She needed time to figure things out and she realized —and he did, too —that the best thing was to split up.”
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By April, a source revealed that the couple was“preparing for divorce.”
“He is truly devastated and wants to make up for anything he has done to hurt people,” said the source. “But the damage in his marriage can’t be fixed, and each would be better off to move on. They know this, but the kids are important to both of them.”
Now, as they work to finalize the terms of their divorce, the exes are still living in their Hamptons compound with their sons Jack, 17, Thijs, 12, and daughter Romy, 15. According to a source, Lauer is staying in the guest house.
In the wake of Lauer’s firing, several insiders told PEOPLE that the anchorwas allegedly often unfaithfulto Roque.
“By Matt’s own admission there were struggles and challenges with his wife,” said one source. “Like many couples, they struggled with a modern marriage.”
A former longtime colleague of Lauer’s said the marriage “was never good,” adding thatLauer’s reputation as a ladies’ man bothered his wife, a Dutch model, even before they wed.
“He was a player when she met him and she knew that,” the colleague said. “Even many years ago, he was a flirt, a philanderer. He did his thing.”
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Lauer and Roque, whowedin 1998 after meeting on ablind date, have been open about marital troubles in the past.
Roque once filed for divorce from Lauer in 2006, citing “cruel and inhumane” behavior, though she withdrew the petition three weeks later.
In 2010, the couple denied a report that Lauer had moved out of their New York City apartment.
“Have we had a completely perfect, easy marriage? No. But the stories you’ve read over the years are not true,” Lauer said. “I don’t think we’re any different than any married couple that’s been together for 12 years.”
Roque said in a separate interview with PEOPLE, “Out of self respect, I want to stand up for our family and protect them.”
source: people.com
