There was a noticeable glow about her—something that hadn’t been seen in years. During a recent lunch at Rijks, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Amsterdam, Annette Roque, estranged wife of Matt Lauer, was spotted laughing and chatting with a friend over glasses of red wine. Observers couldn’t help but notice a significant change: her wedding ring was missing. “She’s taken it off and has been living the high life in Europe,” says an insider. “Annette is acting like someone who’s already moved on from a difficult chapter in her life.”

Breaking Free After Years of Turmoil

It turns out, she has moved on. Just three months after Matt Lauer was fired from NBC’s Today show amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct spanning two decades, Annette found the strength to leave her husband of over 19 years. Though she’d already asked him to leave their $36.5 million home in New York’s Hamptons, sources say Annette, now 52, didn’t officially tell Matt, 60, she was leaving him for good until she was visiting loved ones in her native Holland.

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“Being surrounded by her family and friends made her realize she’d be better off without him,” explains the source, adding that years of Matt’s infidelity and emotional turmoil had finally pushed her to the breaking point. “After everything she’s endured—the sleepless nights crying, the attempts to divorce him years ago—ending the marriage was one of the hardest decisions she’s ever made. But it was necessary for her peace of mind.”

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

It all came down to one decisive phone call. “She called him and said it was over,” reveals the source. “Annette didn’t give Matt the chance to beg or plead like he has in the past. She simply told him her lawyer would reach out, then hung up. She was shaking afterward, but she did it. She finally stood up for herself.”

And she doesn’t regret it. Sharing three children—Jack, 16, Romy, 14, and Thijs, 11—with Matt, Annette feels an overwhelming sense of relief. “After she made the decision, she expected to feel regret or fear, but instead, it’s like a weight has been lifted,” says the source. Unlike in 2006, when she initially filed for divorce citing Matt’s “cruel and inhumane” behavior before changing her mind, this time, she’s resolved. “It’s like she’s finally free,” the source adds.

A New Chapter Begins

While Matt is reportedly miserable, feeling like his world is falling apart, Annette is embracing her new life. “She’s reconnecting with old friends in Holland and New York,” says the insider. “They’ve been taking her out, helping her celebrate her independence.” With a potential windfall from Matt’s estimated $100 million fortune, Annette can afford to indulge. “She’s got the kids, the money, and the big estate,” says the insider. “And she’s not looking back.”

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