NE 6 • January 2, 2012
By NATIONAL ENQUIR STAFF
A secret “family feud” finally ripped apart Katie Couric’s five-year relationship with her toyboy lover Brooks Perlin – and she kicked him to the curb, say sources.
The 54-year-old former “CBS News” anchor gave the boot to Perlin, who’s 17 years younger, because her two daughters – Ellie, 20, and Carrie, 15 – “hated him” and felt he could “never measure up” to their beloved dad Jay Monahan, who died of colon cancer in 1998.
To make matters worse, Perlin’s family saw Katie “as nothing more than a cougar,” reveal insiders.
The news star was so busy with her anchor job at CBS that she’d put her relationship on autopilot and didn’t even realize how bad it had grown, say sources. But after she left that job she had more time to think about her romance and decided she’d had all she could take of Brooks.
“She told a friend, ‘I made a big mistake!’” said one close source, adding: “In the end, Katie realized there wasn’t a future with Brooks. At that point, she felt that the relationship had been a huge waste of time.”
As the thrill of having a hot younger lover subsided, Katie finally admitted to herself that her girls “could never accept him” as she’d been hoping they would and it was creating a family feud, added the source.
Katie’s girls apparently never adjusted to Brooks moving into their luxury Manhattan apartment.
“It was strange for her daughters to have this young guy going to bed with their mom each night,” explained the insider.
“Katie’s daughters cringed every time they saw him kiss or hug her. It was easier for Ellie, who went off to college, but Carrie hated having Brooks living under the same roof.”
Meantime, Brooks’ feelingsbegan to change as his friends and family kept badgering him about how Katie was too old and he could never have children of his own with her. He actually began looking around for a new apartment before she kicked him out, revealed the close source.
“It finally ended for good when the two had a furious fight about their future together – or lack thereof – and Katie told him to hit the road.”
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