After nearly a decade away from the spotlight, Matt Lauer made a rare public appearance that has social media users saying the same thing.
The former Today show anchor was recently photographed during a dinner outing in Sag Harbor, New York, looking dramatically different from the polished television personality millions of viewers once welcomed into their homes each morning.
Celebrity photographer Danny Ordonez captured the 67-year-old former NBC host and shared the image on Instagram. In his caption, Ordonez described Lauer as looking “calm and relaxed,” but it was the stark transformation in his appearance that caught followers completely off guard.
Lauer, the man who once wore tailored suits on live TV, was seen sporting a fully bald head, along with a black-and-white patterned shirt, white skinny jeans and white sneakers.
Social media reactions came without a filter. “Omg. Would never recognize him,” echoing the sentiments of many longtime viewers who remember Lauer from his 21-year run on NBC’s Today.
Another was more blunt, “He looks awful! So aged!” while someone else quipped, “He looks like he belongs on an old, discarded deck of cards.”
Others simply noted how much time had changed him, with one remarking, “Time has not been kind to Matt Lauer.”
Lauer’s fall from grace began in November 2017, when NBC News fired him over allegations of “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”
The network announced his termination in a memo to staff, explaining that they had received a detailed complaint from a colleague and had “reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident,” according to then-NBC News Chairman Andy Lack.
The allegations marked a turning point not just for Lauer, but also for how newsrooms responded to workplace misconduct during the height of the #MeToo movement.
The morning his firing was announced, co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb delivered the news live on air. Visibly shaken, Guthrie called the moment painful, emphasizing the importance of listening to and supporting those who come forward.
“How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly? I don’t know the answer to that,” Guthrie said. “But I do know this reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, it’s long overdue, and it must result in workplaces where all women — all people — feel safe and respected.”
Since his firing, Lauer has stayed mostly silent and out of public life. He has made few, if any, appearances, and has not returned to television.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
