Who Is Matt Lauer's Rumored New Girlfriend, Shamin Abas? - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Matt Lauer seems to be moving on. After splitting from his longtime wife Annette Roque in 2017, the former Today host has reportedly settled into a new relationship with his friend, Shamin Abas. But just who is this woman? Here’s what we know so far.

Matt Lauer at an event in 2017 | Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

Who is Shamin Abas?

Abas has been described by Radar Online as a “powerhouse publicist.” She runs an eponymous public relations firm and has worked with big-name clients such as Rolls-Royce, FIJI Water, and Bugatti.

Abas grew up in Wales, per The Palm Beach Post. Her father, who is Persian, taught math at a local university and her mother was a jazz artist who later became a homemaker. As a kid, Abas spent a lot of time with her two sisters and brother, playing, bike riding, and tending to local stables.

“I grew up living and breathing horses,” Abas told The Palm Beach Post, “but it wasn’t even a thought that I would stay there.”

In the 1990s, she met a man who would become her husband and followed him to Detriot, Michigan. She got her first gig in the media world as a spokesmodel for Chrysler and then moved to New York, where her career snowballed. Unfortunately, though, she and her husband wound up splitting shortly after they relocated to the Big Apple in 1999.

Shamin Abas at an event | Photo by Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

In 2003, Abas remarried — this time, to a New York City nightclub owner. But the marriage had deteriorated by 2007.

“My advice is never be married to someone in the restaurant business,” Abas revealed to The Post. “We were under so much pressure with this huge lease and financial responsibility. It played a huge part in the failure of our marriage.”

How did Shamin Abas and Matt Lauer meet?

At the time of writing, this is unclear. But Abas and Lauer have known each other for more than 14 years. They were reportedly seen having a friendly lunch in 2005 and “recently” became romantic.

A source told Page Six, “Matt and Shamin have known each other for many years, as she spends a lot of time in the Hamptons, as does he. They very recently began dating, she is a lovely woman.”

In Touch Weekly broke the news of their rumored relationship on Dec. 19 after the two were seen traveling together.

A source told the outlet that Lauer had been “on the prowl” for love, “especially after Annette dumped him.” Roque left the disgraced TV anchor in 2017 after he became entangled in sexual assault accusations, which he denies. Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Lauer was fired from NBC.

Matt Lauer on set | Photo by Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

When many people “turned their backs on him,” Abas reportedly was there to comfort and support Lauer.

“She knows who he is,” the source continued. “She’s thrilled she’s with him. She doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.”

And he’s apparently equally smitten, with the source adding, “He can trust Shamin.”

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2020-01-01 15:05:15Z
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Fashion maven Stacy London is 'in love' with a woman, introduces her girlfriend on Instagram - USA TODAY

Maria Puente USA TODAY

Published 9:36 AM EST Jan 1, 2020

Stacy London, fashion maven and former co-host of "What Not to Wear," has confirmed on Instagram that she's in love with a woman – not, she noted tartly, that it's anyone's business.

In a lengthy post Tuesday, London, 50, revealed her "incredible joy" as 2019 ends because she's been dating musician Cat Yezbak for more than a year – her "first serious relationship with a woman." 

She posted two pictures of the two of them together and told her 300,000 followers she wouldn't ordinarily be spilling her private tea except she felt it necessary to address "all the stuff I hear floating around out there."

"So I used to date men. Now I date her. That’s it. That’s all I have to say. Happy New Year to each and every one of you," she wrote.

She hasn't "paraded" her relationship in public, she wrote, but her friends and family have known about it for more than a year. "NOT THAT IT’S ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS BUT...," she opened her post.

She wrote she had a difficult year, including coping with grief (her father, conservative activist and writer Herbert London, died in November 2018) and unforeseen health issues. 

"But as with most of life, there has been such incredible joy as well and the person most responsible for that is @catyezbak, who is my girlfriend and has been for over a year. Some of you may have guessed that already. All my friends and family know her well," she wrote. 

London told her followers she resisted blabbing on social media about Yezbak not out of shame but because she disliked her past experiences with "public relationships."

"But I want to be clear here that with Cat I felt I owed us the chance to be private since this is my first serious relationship with a woman and I’m sure there will be some hoo ha about that," she wrote. "But I would never hide her out of shame."

She also acknowledged she has it relatively easy, as "a privileged white woman who is 50," to confirm a same-sex relationship with "very few repercussions."

"Unlike me, there are countless people in the LGBTQIAP community who have had no choice in who they are, no love from family on which to lean, no support from anyone anywhere," she wrote. "I fell in love, truly in love, with this beautiful, sexy, kind soul and I won’t apologize for that but I stand on the shoulders of a community that fought like hell for me to be able to do openly and proudly and EASILY."

She cheerfully concluded: "Bring it 2020. Let’s go."

Haters need not post, she added. "AND ALSO: any awful comments will be deleted immediately. My account will not tolerate hate of any kind.)

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2020-01-01 14:36:37Z
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A QUIET PLACE 2 Trailer (2020) Emily Blunt Horror Movie - JoBlo Movie Trailers

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2020-01-01 14:02:35Z
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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Welcome 2020 With Sweet New Photo Of Archie - HuffPost

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2020-01-01 10:28:00Z
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Why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Royal Titles Are at Risk of Being Stripped - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy an extremely large fan base in England and around the globe. The young couple viewed as newlyweds that are very much in love and loving parents to the newest royal family arrival: Baby Archie Harrison. Additionally, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen as being very down to earth.

And unlike most other royal family members, they don’t mind expressing their emotions or displaying human frailties. For these reasons, it is incredibly hard to imagine why some individuals are petitioning for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan to have their royal titles removed.

What are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal titles?

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Baby Archie | Toby Melville – Pool/Getty Images

After the royal wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed a dukedom on the prince. His titles are Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.

When a member of nobility has conferred to the status of duke, that person gains a royal family member ranking that is just below the monarch. A duke is often noted to be in line as an heir to the throne, and will traditionally rule over a territory or a county.

Because of her marriage to Prince Harry, Markle received the status of the Duchess of Sussex. A duchess is a wife or the widow of a duke. Or, when a woman is unmarried and holds the same rank as a duke in her own right, she is referred to as duchess. Both a duke and a duchess are ranked next in line behind the ruling monarch.

Not only were these titles bestowed on the newlywed couple by the sitting Queen of England, but it is also only by the will of the queen who can remove an entitled royal member from their appointed duties and status.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal titles will be debated

One may think this was such a preposterous idea, that no one would really consider stripping a royal couple of their titles and duties — especially for no good reason or cause! But, according to Mirror UK, the Brighton and Hove City Council will debate the matter. Campaigner Charles Ross, a member of the Brighton and Hove City Council, started a petition to strip the royal couple of their given titles.

But, that’s not all! The petition also demands the Brighton and Hove community to ban them from any loyal duties within city limits and to refrain from offering hospitality or courtesy beyond what an ordinary member of society would expect when they visit Brighton and Hove, a seaside city in East Sussex, in South East England.

The founder of the British Monarchists Society, Thomas Mace-Archer-Mills, said he was appalled by the petition. He said: “We are utterly dismayed that said petition has been signed by so many.”

Can City Council strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles?

The only entity that can strip any royal titles or duties from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is the reigning queen, herself. And, that is highly unlikely, as the British monarch has never sought to please political factions and have always stood by tradition and heritage as their driving motivators.

Possibly, the only reason why the matter is being taken up by the city council is due to the number of people that have signed the petition. So far, that number is over 3,700 signatures.

What would happen if the newly married couple were stripped of their noble titles? Well, they would virtually revert to being commoners.

While this may seem out of the question for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, many people believe the couple would love to abandon the royal lifestyle for a simpler and quieter existence.

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2020-01-01 10:01:28Z
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Confetti Rains Down as New York City Welcomes 2020 - VOA News

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2020-01-01 07:34:46Z
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The Witcher’s success is held back by Netflix’s release strategy in a post-Game of Thrones world - The Verge

The Witcher has everything it needs to be Netflix’s next success: popular source material, a massive marketing campaign, a well-received performance by Henry Cavill, and an iconic meme in the form of the hit song “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher.” Yet, while certainly popular, it doesn’t seem like The Witcher is going to become “must see” television like other recent hits, such as The Mandalorian on Disney+ or Watchmen on HBO. At least part of the reason why is how Netflix released it: in a single, all-you-can-eat drop — like almost all of its other shows — instead of a more traditional weekly rollout.

Weekly releases have numerous benefits for fans: continued and focused conversation every week around the latest episode, a chance to digest and process events, and fewer demands on viewers’ time upfront.

By dropping every episode at once, Netflix is sacrificing weekly discussions around The Witcher for a short burst of popularity, after which it trickles off into the void as people’s attentions are quickly grabbed by the next big thing. That extra time between episodes would let viewership build over time, as more people hear about the show or proselytize it to their friends.

Compare that to a weekly release, like The Mandalorian, which captured a burst of attention with each new Baby Yoda GIF, or the weeklong discussions and theorizing that would fill the time between episodes of Watchmen. Not everyone may have been on board with The Mandalorian at first, but when everyone else on the internet started talking about it and sharing GIFs, they may have been willing to give it a shot.

Weekly releases (at reasonable hours) also transform streaming shows into the kind of appointment television that viewers flock to and watch together, reacting in real time. The weekly release schedule means everyone is roughly at the same place in the series; for the most part, no one is confused about why the song from the bard is a big deal because they haven’t gotten up to that episode yet.

A weekly release also makes it less of a slog to actually watch a show. Give someone one episode, with the promise of more, and you’ve given them something to look forward to without demanding too much time upfront. Netflix dumps hours of content on viewers at once, demanding that they watch it all in a binge session that the site used to be famous for.

It’s not that The Witcher isn’t popular, either: at least one data firm says it’s more popular than The Mandalorian, at least for its first weekend debut, per Business Insider. But even if that number is correct, it’s just a single week, compared to the months that The Mandalorian dominated the conversation. How long can The Witcher keep that success going with no new episodes to drive viewers back and plenty of other new content waiting in their queues?

None of this is to say that Netflix’s traditional “dump it all in a single day” strategy isn’t always effective. Some of its original series — the three seasons of Stranger Things, for example, The Umbrella Academy, or any of the various Marvel shows it used to make — are filmed and designed as what amounts to a single 10-or-so-hour-long movie that just happens to have convenient episode breaks. While weekly releases still might make more sense, at least from a mindshare perspective, the release strategy there is at least understandable given the nature of the content.

There was a time when Netflix’s approach was seen as a breath of fresh air, especially compared to the bloated, 24-episode and months-long seasons that dominated traditional broadcast. Netflix’s strategy killed the cruft, and promised an almost cinematic-like experience where the entire show hit at once. But hours-long TV show seasons aren’t movies, and trying to force episodic stories into a cinematic box just doesn’t work.

Even among Netflix’s shows, though, The Witcher in particular feels designed for a weekly release, given the literal “monster-of-the-week” style plotting that (at least for part of the season) sees Geralt go somewhere and fight something in fairly self-contained chunks. Add in the twisting timelines and developing storylines, and you’ve got a show that’s almost tailor-made for today’s Game of Thrones / Westworld / Watchmen-style cottage industry that loves to theorize and debate over shows. It’s hard to have a Witcher podcast series, for example, when all the discussion happens over the course of a weekend.

Game of Thrones style juggernauts are few and far between, even as more and more companies try to hit whatever magic combination of popularity and quality makes a show so hyped. Not every show will be the next Game of Thrones or Mandalorian — take Apple TV Plus’ See, which had a weekly release, huge budget, and star-studded cast but still flopped by virtue of not being very good.

The Witcher probably won’t be the next Game of Thrones. It’s probable that no show ever will be: the success of Thrones looks increasingly like a once-in-a-generation type of occasion. But Netflix’s release strategy isn’t giving its best shows the chance to even try, with the service choosing to burn off all its content in a single shot instead of a slower burn that could see it rise to greater heights.

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2019-12-31 14:00:00Z
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