Disgraced Star Matt Lauer Breaks Cover to Attend Lavish Hamptons Party With Girlfriend Shamin Abas

Matt Lauer is stepping back into the spotlight.

The former Today show anchor made a rare public appearance with longtime girlfriend Shamin Abas at Robert Kraft's annual Fourth of July party in the Hamptons, marking the first time he has been photographed in several months.

Lauer, 68, and Abas attended the star-studded celebration on Saturday, July 4, arriving together for the exclusive Independence Day event. In photos obtained by an outlet, Lauer kept his look classic in a light beige plaid blazer over a crisp white button-down shirt, finishing the outfit with dark sunglasses.

Abas embraced a summery look in a colorful sleeveless maxi dress featuring an animal-print bodice and a vibrant floral skirt. She completed the ensemble with oversized sunglasses and a statement pendant necklace as she walked beside Lauer.

According to People, the pair looked comfortable and cheerful throughout the party.

An onlooker told the outlet that Lauer and Abas looked "very happy together, and were holding hands at one point and smiling and chatting with everyone there."

Another insider said the former television host, who now lives full-time in Sag Harbor in the Hamptons, is "happy and doing well."

"He's very happy with Shamin," the source shared.

The event marked Lauer's first photographed outing since March, when he was also spotted enjoying a night out with Abas.

Lauer's latest appearance comes months after former Today show employee Brooke Nevils published a memoir revisiting the sexual assault complaint she filed against him in 2017 and the events that followed.

Lauer was fired by NBC that same year after the network learned of Nevils' complaint. In the weeks that followed, several other women also came forward with additional allegations.

“Matt Lauer’s conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time," NBC said in a statement at the time. "That’s why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint. Our hearts break again for our colleague.”

Nevils accused Lauer of raping her in a hotel room during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She later revealed that fear of harming her career kept her silent for years.

“When I made that complaint, I knew who Matt Lauer was,” Nevils told a news outlet in an interview published on January 29 while promoting her book. "I knew what he meant to the company. I knew what the Today show meant to millions and millions of people because I was one of those people. It meant the world to me. I knew what NBC meant to me, it was my family. It was my identity."

Lauer has maintained that the interaction with Nevils was consensual.

"The story Brooke tells is filled with false details intended only to create the impression this was an abusive encounter. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter," he told Variety in 2019.