Now, exclusive sources tell PEOPLE that Lauer is "not happy" about Nevils' book, but has "come to terms with bad press"
Matt Lauer is "not happy" about Brooke Nevils resurfacing her 2017 sexual assault allegations -- but has "come to terms with bad press," exclusive sources tell PEOPLE.
In an excerpt of her upcoming memoir -- UnspeakableThings: Silence, Shame, and the Stories We Choose to Believe -- published by The Cut on Jan. 28, Nevils recalled the details of her sexual encounters with the former Today show anchor, who was fired in 2017 after she reported his alleged sexual harassment and assault during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
"I have spent the long years since using my otherwise abandoned skills as a journalist to report and write the book about sexual harassment and assault that I wish had existed for me," she began in the excerpt.
Now, a source close to Lauer tells PEOPLE that, while he is "not happy about the publication of her book," the former TV host is "grateful for his close circle of friends who have rallied around him during this scandal."
Lauer himself is "angry" about Nevil rehashing the allegations, which he has denied multiple times.
The insider also tells PEOPLE that Lauer has grown weary of the whole thing and has been trying to move on with his life alongside his longtime girlfriend, Shamin Abas.
Lawyers for Lauer did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Saturday, Jan. 31.
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"He has a good life in the Hamptons with his kids and friends," the source says. "He also loves his place in New Zealand and is spending a lot of time there. He has a life away from all of this scandal. He is happy. He still has a solid relationship with Shamin and is fulfilled in his personal life."
Lauer is father to three children -- sons Jack, 24, and Thijs, 19, and daughter Romy, 22 -- whom he shares with ex-wife Annette Roque. The former couple separated following Lauer's termination from NBC and finalized their divorce in 2019.
Another source echoed that sentiment, telling PEOPLE that Lauer's trips to his New Zealand property have enriched his life both before and after the scandal.
"He is so happy when he is in New Zealand. I can see him spending even more time there," the source shares. "It gets him away from the negative press in the U.S. But beyond that, he likes the people there and the healthy lifestyle."
As for Nevils' allegations, the insider says Lauer has "always maintained that the sex was consensual."
"This whole thing pretty well devastated him at first, but he has come a long way and has a life outside of the negativity," the source explains. "He loves his kids and has a romantic relationship that has been going on for years."
Nevils said in a recent interview with NPR that Lauer's claim that their relationship was "consensual" was inaccurate.
"Consent and agreement are not synonymous," she said. "When one person has power over the other, it's not really consent. It's submission."
"When you're a subordinate and the most powerful person in your industry asks you to come to his hotel room, which in our industry, hotel rooms aren't [looked at the same] way they are in a social sense, [it's different]," she continued. "We work in hotel rooms all the time. I'd been to his hotel room already for a rehearsal, I'd been there earlier that night. They're not freighted places the way they are in other industries."
A third source close to Lauer tells PEOPLE that, after the former Today show star grew accustomed to the popularity and attention he received from his viewers, he let the fame go to his head and has since been "humbled."
"Matt knows he was a superstar at NBC, a talent who related to so many who watched him daily, especially female viewers," the source says. "He took advantage of his celebrity and has been humbled by what happened to him. In some ways, he has come to terms with the bad press. He is in a good place. Especially compared to a few years ago."
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