Matt Lauer is famous for a few things the least of which is the fact he is a journalist who used to work for NBC News. An aspect of his life that did not get much coverage while he was an anchor for NBC is his personal life, specifically his children. He has three children, the youngest being Thijs Lauer.
The youngest son of the disgraced journalist stands out for a few reasons, more than just the fact he is the last child of the family. He also bears a rather curious name that makes him unique among members of his family. Perhaps one day he will take that uniqueness and do something amazing with his life, it is left to be seen.
For now, let’s take a look at who he is.
Who Is Thijs Lauer?
For the record, the pronunciation of his name ‘Thijs’ is ‘Tice’. It is the short form of the Dutch word for Matthew, which is Matthijs.
Having said that, Thijs Lauer was born on the 28th of November 2006 in the City of New York. He was born into a family of four, consisting of a brother, Jack Matthew Lauer, a sister Romy, his mother Annette Roque and father, Matt Lauer.
Who Are His Parents?
Thijs Lauer is likely to grow up and maintain his family’s notable status in the world and it is all down to his parents – Matt Lauer and Annette Roque.
Before his father became a disgraced journalist, he was a respected one who commanded one of the top leading news platforms in American media, the NBC show, Today. He was a co-host on the show for many years – from 1997 to 2017. Over the course of his career, which began in 1979, he worked with other media outlets like HBO and MSNBC.
During what was an illustrious journalism career, he interviewed several important personalities like Vladimir Putin, President George W. Bush, Princes William and Harry, Paul Ryan and many others. He also hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parada and hosted several opening ceremonies for the iconic Olympic Games.
Thijs Lauer’s father spent 20 years working with NBC and was destined to spend a lot more until a sexual harassment scandal led to the termination of his appointment with the media outlet.
His mother, on the other hand, doesn’t share a similar or any other controversy. Thijs Lauer’s mother, Annette Roque is a Netherlands-born model and equestrian. During his mother’s career, which spanned through the 80s and 90s, she appeared for several brands, notably Victoria Secret, Revlon and J Crew.
As a horse lover, his mother has taken her passion to establish a horse farm, Bright Side Farm which is located in the Hamptons.
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Other Facts About Him
- His parents’ divorce scare
We mentioned earlier that Thijs Lauer is quite the special child in his family and one other reason is that his parents almost got separated before he was born. While he was still in the womb, his mother filed for a divorce from his father, two months before he was born. Thankfully, they were able to reconcile and raise Thijs together for the early years of his life.
- How his parents met
Children are always curious to know how their parents. Well, for Thijs Lauer, the story is not as remarkable as he might have hoped as his parents met on a blind date in July 1997, arranged by one of their family friends, Maria Santoro. The set up turned out to be very successful as they got engaged within five months of meeting each other. Thijs’ parents got married in 1998.
- He resides in the Hamptons
There is no denying the fact that Thijs was born into a privileged life (his father used to earn $20 million per year in contracts at NBC). A combination of his parents’ wealth and their decision to raise Thijs and his siblings out of public view resulted in the family buying a home in the Hamptons. The home is named Strongheart Manor and it has 12 bedrooms and a few other luxury amenities, including a pond with a bridge.
- How his name came about
He was named Thijs because his father did not want to name him Matthew, having given the name to his older brother, Jack Matthew Lauer.
