Matt Lauer's Daughter Romy Lands In Serious Legal Trouble (& Borrows His Lawyer)

A few years after speculation that disgraced NBC host Matt Lauer wanted to jump into the spotlight again, a member of his family is in the news for her own scandal. And, ironically, her troubles have her in desperate need of the lawyer who is all too familiar with the Lauer family. 

It has been reported that Matt's daughter Romy Lauer was involved in a hit-and-run in the early morning of July 5, 2024. While on a trip in the Hamptons, assumedly for the Fourth of July holiday, Romy crashed into a nearby fence and sign while driving. At about 4 a.m., a neighbor who heard the crash called 911 for the authorities to check things out. However, no one was at the scene. Insiders spoke to Page Six and said law enforcement officers discovered who was responsible because they found Romy's license plate, which had detached from her Jeep Wrangler in the hit. It has not been reported that any people were injured in Romy's hit-and-run, so it seems just to have been that the fence and sign were hit.

After discovering who the guilty party was, a court summons was issued to Romy for leaving after the crash, as well as an official ticket. Attorney Edward Burke, Jr., who has reportedly represented Romy's father Matt previously, is set to serve as Romy's attorney for this case. According to a source for Page Six, the attorney is "currently involved in the case and resolving this for Ms. Lauer." 

Prior to the hit-and-run, Romy Lauer shared a TikTok that is ironic to hear now. On July 4, 2024, some hours before the hit-and-run happened, Romy and two of her friends posted a TikTok lip-synching to a viral sound bite from Kevin James. The trending audio was related to driving. In the audio, which was from 2007, James started a NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway by shouting, "I just got three things to say: God bless our troops, God bless America, and gentlemen, start your engines!" 

Romy moved on from the incident without any fanfare. Her next TikTok was posted on July 9 and unrelated to the Fourth of July (or the events that transpired after). Instead, it was another lip sync with the simple caption related to an upcoming vacation: "spain tomorrowww."

As of this reporting, neither Matt Lauer or the University of Miami student have commented on the incident. However, with reports of Romy's incident in the Hamptons, the interesting TikTok in question is also currently unavailable. 

After Romy Lauer's hit-and-run, it's no surprise that her father, former "Today Show" host Matt Lauer likely reached out to a familiar acquaintance for help — attorney Edward Burke, Jr. 

A few years after being fired from "Today" back in 2017 due to sexual misconduct allegations, Matt was spotted with Burke Jr. and other loved ones around Sag Harbor in the Hamptons in September 2019. New accusations would follow Matt in October of that same year, after an excerpt of writer Ronan Farrow's book, "Catch and Kill" was sent to Variety. Matt later wrote a letter denying many of the allegations against him, which the outlet said was sent by his lawyer. While Variety did not name the lawyer, it is possible Burke Jr. is the one the outlet was referring to. The attorney has reportedly represented several celebrity clients including Matt, Jason Kidd, and even Justin Timberlake, whose troubling DWI arrest in June 2024 shocked fans. 

Following his "Today" show firing, Matt has focused on his family and largely has stayed out of the public eye. In November 2022, about five years after the allegations against him first broke, a source told People he had "a good relationship with his children and sees them often." They also said, "They are a priority in his life." And clearly, that's true as he apparently is helping his daughter with this legal case. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).