Matt Lauer's Ex-Wife Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson Comes To His Defense

"I never saw him as ... somebody who would abuse his position in any way," she said.
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Ousted “Today” show host Matt Lauer has his ex-wife in his corner.

“I’ve given him my support 100 percent,” Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson said in a Thursday interview with Entertainment Tonight.

NBC fired Lauer Wednesday for alleged sexual misconduct, and the longtime host now faces multiple accusations of predatory behavior. But Alspaugh-Jackson, who was married to Lauer from 1981 to 1988, sees the claims as out of character for her ex.

“I never saw him as a power monger or somebody who would abuse his position in any way,” she told ET. “That’s why it’s so shocking to the people that know him and really love him.”

Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson, pictured in 2012, says she's "shocked" by the allegations against ex-husband Matt Lauer.
Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson, pictured in 2012, says she's "shocked" by the allegations against ex-husband Matt Lauer.
Amanda Edwards via Getty Images

“I was shocked because he’s been such a stalwart at that network and in that job,” she said. “He’s been the best person that’s ever held that job, and I couldn’t imagine that anything that he would have done ― that would have been so out of character for him ― that would have caused that reaction.”

Alspaugh-Jackson, a writer and producer who was married to former TV executive H. Read Jackson until his death in 2016, said a reporter approached her earlier this year about Lauer, and she let Lauer know.

As for whether he’s guilty of the allegations, Alspaugh-Jackson told ET, “He’s just a very giving person and charming, and I think a lot of this stuff is obviously going to come to light, whether it’s true or not, and some of the things that are being stated may not be true.”

“We have to find that out, you know?” she added.

Matt Lauer has "100 percent" support from his ex-wife, Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson.
Matt Lauer has "100 percent" support from his ex-wife, Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson.
Mike Segar / Reuters

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