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There is no substantiated evidence that Matt Lauer moved to New Zealand to hide from controversy. A November 2025 report attributed to PEOPLE says he largely lives around the Hamptons and still visits his New Zealand home. Owning or visiting property there is not proof of a relocation or its motive.
Where is Matt Lauer now?
A report published November 27, 2025, and attributed to PEOPLE described Lauer as largely living around the Hamptons while continuing to visit his New Zealand home. It also said, citing an unnamed source, that he hoped to return to media in some capacity. The report does not identify a confirmed project or establish that he has moved to New Zealand. Read the report.
What is known about his New Zealand property?
Lauer has a property interest in New Zealand. New Zealand’s Overseas Investment Office (OIO) reviewed whether allegations following his 2017 firing affected the good-character condition associated with his consent to hold the asset. That review concerned his eligibility under the consent condition; it was not a determination that he had moved there to avoid attention.
In June 2018, the OIO said Lauer had not been charged or convicted and that the evidence then available did not establish he was unfit to continue holding the asset. The agency also made clear that its decision was not an endorsement of his conduct. Lisa Barrett, then LINZ Deputy Chief Executive for Policy and Overseas Investment, was quoted as saying: “However in reaching this position we do not condone the inappropriate way that Mr Lauer has behaved.” Otago Daily Times’ report on the OIO decision and its earlier account provide the historical context.
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What happened after Lauer was fired by NBC?
NBC fired Lauer in November 2017 after allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. Those allegations and the OIO’s later review should be described as such: the cited coverage does not turn them into adjudicated findings. The OIO’s 2018 decision addressed the good-character condition on his consent to hold the New Zealand asset, not every allegation connected with his time at NBC.
What was reported about the farm operation?
In a December 31, 2024, report, the Otago Daily Times described allegations by PETA relating to sheep shearing at Hunter Valley Farming, which operated on leased land. Lauer’s representative reportedly said Lauer had no prior knowledge of the alleged problems and had initiated an inquiry. The newspaper also reported that New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries had received a complaint and was investigating. The cited report does not establish a final finding, so the allegations should not be presented as proven. This animal-welfare matter is separate from the OIO’s 2018 good-character review. Read the report.
What does “run to the other side of the planet to hide” actually establish?
It is a claim about motive, not a fact established by the cited reporting. The available account describes New Zealand visits alongside a largely Hamptons-based life; it does not report that Lauer relocated there, or that he did so to escape scrutiny. The distinction matters: a property connection, a visit, a reported place of residence, and an explanation for someone’s choices are four different claims.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Further reading: Brooke Nevils’s account
For a first-person account related to the allegations and their aftermath, Yahoo’s January 29, 2026, report identifies Brooke Nevils’s memoir, Unspeakable Things: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe. It is Nevils’s account; it should not be treated as a substitute for the separate reporting on Lauer’s present-day location. Read Yahoo’s report.
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