Matt Lauer’s Decades Of Workplace Abuse

Matt Lauer — fired from his "Today" host throne at NBC over "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace" — had a history going back two decades of abusing his position to put the moves on women!

An investigation by The National ENQUIRER found that while young Matt seemed like a sweet guy, he had already begun to trade sexual favors for “advice” and network airtime. In fact, insiders say Matt was actually behind his ex-fiancée Kristen Gesswein being tossed after her one chance to impress network brass.

Kristen was a hopeful young newscaster in Waterloo, Iowa, in the early ’90s when Matt encouraged her to move to New York to be near him. They got engaged, but soon things went sour: Matt found himself in line to replace Bryant Gumbel, and before long, his personal life became an afterthought.

“Kristen was said to be devastated after their wedding plans were suddenly canceled,” spilled the insider. “Matt told her he’d help her career, but the best she could get was a behind-the-scenes job on CNBC’s ‘America’s Talking.’ Then, one day when the anchor got sick, she was asked to fill in on-air. She was so excited.”

But Kristen never got another shot on-screen, and she felt Lauer was behind it. “Kristen’s convinced Matt had something to do with it,” the insider dished. “Matt has a definite dark side.” Shortly after that, a source snitched, “Matt dumped her without so much as a handshake.”

After that, Lauer left a trail of traumatized women, including former “Today” production assistant Addie Collins Zinone, then 24, who said her affair with Matt made her feel like a “hostage.”

“The situation really took its toll on me,” Addie said. “I changed physically. I changed emotionally. Fear crept into my life. Any confidence I had was gone. For him, it was a conquest.”

Lauer’s philandering was a sad fact of life for his first wife, TV producer Nancy Alspaugh (left). Asked about rumors that he’d cheated on his second wife, Dutch model Annette Roque, Nancy told The ENQUIRER: “I was not shocked to hear that, but it’s very sad.”

At last, NBC fired Lauer in November following yet another accusation of sexual misconduct. “These women are all victims,” added the insider. “What Matt has done is despicable.”