Morning television has always been a weird mix of comfort food and high-stakes drama. For years, we woke up to the same faces, thinking we knew them. But when the curtain pulled back on the Today show set in the mid-2010s, things got messy fast. Specifically, the rumors surrounding Natalie Morales and Matt Lauer started swirling with such intensity that they basically took on a life of their own.
Honestly, even now, people still argue about what happened. Did she leave because of him? Was there an affair? Or was it just the usual cutthroat nature of network TV? Let’s look at the facts and the actual timeline, because a lot of what's out there is just tabloid noise.
The 2016 Exit: Why Natalie Really Moved
In May 2016, the news dropped that Natalie Morales was leaving the Today show anchor desk in New York to head to Los Angeles. She wasn't leaving NBC, but she was moving across the country to become the West Coast anchor and a host for Access Hollywood.
Almost immediately, the "sources" started talking. Page Six ran a report suggesting that an "inappropriate relationship" between Natalie and Matt Lauer was the real reason for the move. The narrative was simple: things got complicated, and the network decided to ship her off to California to keep the peace.
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But both of them shut that down immediately.
Natalie called the rumors "completely absurd" and "hurtful." She was pretty blunt about it, saying the insinuations were "sexist" and that her move was 100% about her own career growth. Her husband, Joseph Rhodes, was reportedly part of the decision-making process too, as they were looking for a lifestyle change for their family. Matt Lauer also spoke up, telling Mike Lupica on a podcast that he felt his "family was being threatened" by the lies.
The Matt Lauer Fallout of 2017
Fast forward to November 2017. Everything changed.
When Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb sat at that desk, visibly shaken, and announced that Matt Lauer had been fired for "inappropriate sexual behavior," the world stopped. Suddenly, every old rumor about Lauer was back under the microscope. If he had been behaving this way with other colleagues, people naturally started looking back at Natalie Morales again.
Natalie, who was by then firmly established in LA, addressed the firing on Access Hollywood. She looked shocked. She said she was "in shock" and called the woman who came forward "courageous." She spoke about her friends back in New York who were reeling, and she didn't mince words. She acknowledged that while she saw him as a professional mentor, she "didn't know about these other things."
It’s interesting because, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the power dynamics at Today were exposed as being incredibly lopsided. Lauer was the "king" of that set. He had a reported $28 million-a-year contract and, as we later found out from reports by Ronan Farrow and Variety, a lot of leverage over who stayed and who went.
Why the Rumors Stuck
Why do people still link Natalie Morales and Matt Lauer so closely? Part of it is just how NBC handled their talent. Look at what happened to Ann Curry. Look at Tamron Hall. There was a clear pattern of women being "pushed out" while Lauer remained the untouchable center of the universe.
When Natalie moved to LA, it felt like another piece of that pattern. But here’s the nuance: Natalie actually thrived after leaving the main desk.
- She took on three jobs: Access Hollywood, Access Hollywood Live, and her role on Today.
- She continued her work on Dateline.
- She eventually moved to CBS to host The Talk and contribute to 48 Hours.
If she was "pushed out," she certainly landed on her feet in a way that most people don't.
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What We Know for Sure
In 2026, looking back at this saga, we have to separate the gossip from the documented history.
- No Evidence of an Affair: Despite years of tabloid speculation, there has never been any credible evidence or a single confirmed report of an affair between the two. Both have denied it consistently for nearly a decade.
- Lauer's Pattern: We know now that Lauer did engage in a pattern of inappropriate behavior with other women at NBC. This is why the rumors about Natalie were so easy for people to believe—they fit a broader, darker truth about the workplace environment he created.
- Natalie's Agency: Natalie has been very clear that she wanted the move to California. She wanted the sunshine, the lifestyle change, and the opportunity to lead her own show.
Basically, the "Natalie Morales and Matt Lauer" story is less about a secret romance and more about the toxic culture of a major newsroom where women’s careers were often viewed through the lens of the powerful men they worked with.
Moving Beyond the Headlines
Natalie Morales is still a powerhouse in the industry. Her move to CBS in late 2021 was a massive "get" for them, and she’s spent the last few years proving she didn't need the Today show's center chair to be a household name.
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If you're following these types of industry shifts, the takeaway is pretty clear: trust the career moves, not the anonymous sources. Natalie's trajectory from 2016 to now shows someone who was in control of her own brand, even when the internet was trying to write a different script for her.
Practical Insight for Readers:
If you're researching celebrity or media workplace dynamics, always look for the primary source statements. In this case, Natalie Morales has been remarkably consistent. Her longevity in the industry—now spanning over 30 years—speaks louder than any 2016 Page Six blind item.
To stay updated on Natalie's current work, you can follow her reporting on 48 Hours or watch her latest interviews on the CBS news rotation, where she continues to cover major national stories with the same level of professionalism she brought to the desk years ago.