Matt Lauer was once one of the most recognizable faces on television. As the host of Today, millions woke up to him every day. However, in 2017 his career abruptly ended following serious allegations of sexual misconduct. He has yet even to attempt any sort of comeback, but former CNN host Don Lemon (who knows Lauer personally) thinks that a Lauer comeback would be successful.
Don Lemon appeared on the Hollywood Raw podcast saying that while he only got to know Matt Lauer following the allegations of misconduct that led to him being fired by NBC, he has seen the way that the general public reacts to the man when they see him in public. And because of that, he thinks the reason Lauer hasn’t been able to restart his career is due to his potential employers. In his words:
Whenever I see Matt out and about, or even with us if we go out to dinner, my husband and I go out to dinner with him and his fiancee, and people love him. Women love him. They’re like ‘Matt, oh my god, can I get a picture, I love you, I miss you on television.’ So I think the public loves him, the public misses him, but it’s the people inside the business who are afraid.
Lemon suggests that if Lauer did make a return, he would likely be successful, saying the public “misses him” and that the ratings of any new Matt Lauer show would be strong.
It’s perhaps understandable why the “people inside the business” are unwilling to take a chance on Lauer because if Lemon is wrong, the blowback on whoever put Lauer on air could be significant. Of course, it also appears that Lauer still has strong support within the industry. In addition to Lemon, Lauer is also still friends with Bryant Gumbal, so there would likely be many who would be supportive of a return.
However, there’s at least some anecdotal evidence indicating that Lemon may not be entirely correct in his assessment. This isn’t the first time that a possible Matt Lauer comeback has been rumored.
A little less than a year ago Us Weekly posted a headline to Instagram that also suggested Lauer was gearing up for a comeback. Nothing ever came of the report, or at least hasn’t yet, but it should be said that while there were a few comments on the post willing to give him a chance, the vast majority indicated no interest in seeing Lauer again.
Matt Lauer certainly wouldn’t be the first to attempt to make a comeback after serious misconduct allegations. Louis C.K. is performing again. Actor Armie Hammer has a new movie on the way and he's suggested he's getting many offers.
At this point, it’s not actually clear Matt Lauer wants to come back. If he does try, we’ll find out if Don Lemon is right.
