### "Saturday Night Live" Mocks Matt Lauer Amid Hoda Kotb's Departure from "Today" Show

In the latest episode of "Saturday Night Live," the comedy series took aim at former "Today" host Matt Lauer while addressing Hoda Kotb's recent announcement of her departure from the morning show. Over the weekend, during the "Weekend Update" segment of the Season 50 premiere, Colin Jost made several quips about both Kotb and Lauer.

Jost began by mentioning Kotb's recent exit from "Today," humorously noting that she had mixed feelings about leaving. "Hoda Kotb announced that she will be leaving the 'Today' show," Jost said. "Hoda says she will remember her time on the show fondly, and not at all."

The segment quickly turned its attention to Matt Lauer, who was dismissed from the show in 2017 following serious allegations of sexual misconduct. Jost made a pointed jab by showing a Photoshopped image of Lauer with Kotb's hairstyle, jokingly suggesting that "Hota Kotb will be replaced by - oh no! - Matt Lauer-be."

Lauer, now 66, was notably absent from any immediate response to the bit. He had faced multiple accusations of sexual assault upon his departure nearly seven years ago. The most significant of these allegations was detailed in Ronan Farrow's 2019 book, "Catch and Kill," which accused Lauer of raping NBC News colleague Brooke Nevils during the 2014 Olympics in Russia. Lauer, who was married to Annette Roque at the time, denied the accusations, calling them "categorically false."

As for Kotb, she revealed last week her plans to leave the "Today" show after an impressive 26-year run. During an emotional announcement alongside her co-host Jenna Bush Hager, the 60-year-old broadcaster explained her decision, expressing the need to prioritize her personal life and spend more time with her two adopted daughters, Haley and Hope. She noted that her choice was a difficult one, made after a great deal of contemplation.

Kotb is set to officially depart the show in January 2025, although she will continue working with NBC in a to-be-announced capacity. The veteran journalist, who adopted her daughters in 2017 and 2019 with ex-partner Joel Schiffman, shared her desire to give her children "a bigger piece of [her] time pie" as she steps into the next chapter of her life.