Matt Lauer

Matt Lauer has softened his position about leaving the Today show in December at the end of his contract ... if NBC will pay up big time, that is.

The sexy beast currently earns $17 million a year. Negotiations are currently ongoing that could net Lauer could as much as $30 MILLION a year.

That will make a lot of people soften positions about retiring, we would have to imagine. But was Lauer's change of heart motivated by something else?

Some say Lauer changed his mind about leaving when network execs showed interest in Ryan Seacrest as a replacement ... and got jealous.

Others say Lauer wanted to re-sign all along and is merely using the end of his current deal and his plan to possibly leave as a tactic to get paid.

Either way, he's about to do pretty well for himself.

Today makes roughly $450 million a year for the network - more than any other show on NBC - so in that context, $30 million for Lauer?

Not a steal for NBC, but probably a worthwhile investment.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Robert Pattinson hasn't been shy in admitting he is so over Twilight, but we never expected the British actor to even consider joining Team Jacob.

We're kidding. Rob's character in Water for Elephants is named Jacob, though. Pretty funny, although he says he never realized the coincidence.

Another strange thing he never thought about? Playing Reese Witherspoon's son in a movie role back in 2004, then playing her love interest now!

Watch him discuss that and much more on the Today show here:

Robert Pattinson on the Today Show

As always, watching Robert's talk with Matt Lauer reminds us why he is one of our favorite stars, a smart and laid-back dude with a no-fuss attitude.

Even when it comes to clowns dying at the circus or gross sex scenes with Reese Witherspoon, you can't faze this seasoned Hollywood veteran.

Katie Couric and Matt Lauer were back together today, ON Today, if only for a day. The latter interviewed the former, who left the NBC show five years ago.

The CBS News anchor, who's rumored to be leaving her post, seemed less than 100 percent sure of that this morning when asked about her career plans.

Matt, who's also talking about a job change (some think he's just posturing for a big payday), spoke with his former co-anchor about her new book as well.

Here's Katie talking to Matt about The Best Advice I Ever Got and more:

Kate Couric and Matt Lauer on Today

Matt Lauer may say he's considering leaving the Today Show, but really, sexy beast just wants to line those coffers, if you follow where we're coming from.

Unlike Glenn Beck leaving Fox, Katie Couric exiting CBS or Matt's own co-host Meredith Vieira bolting Today, Matt's only real endgame is a bigger payday.

At least according to TMZ, which reports that he's angling for a $25 million contract. ANNUALLY. Matt currently pays the bills on a measly $17 million.

Sources connected with NBC say talk of Matt leaving Today is nothing more than a well timed negotiating ploy, following Vieira's announced September exit.

The short story is that Today has been the #1 morning show for 15 years, a virtual cash register for the Peacock, and Matt Lauer wants his slice of the pie.

Not a small one, either.

[Photo: WENN.com]

What will The Today Show look like without Matt Lauer and his impressive middle-aged body? Viewers will find out in 2013.

A source tells Entertainment Tonight the journalist will exit the morning series when his deal expires on December 31, 2012. He has served as co-anchor since 1997.

This report follows other shake-ups at the network: insiders claim Meredith Vieira will also depart Today in September, while Katie Couric will soon leave as anchor of the CBS Evening News.

Expect all three to be seriously hot commodities once their deals expire.

[Photo: WENN.com]

There's nothing like a good celebrity feud.

Sure, we all go through bad breakups, say things we wish we could take back and argue with others, but when the stars do it, it's so much more interesting!

As the year winds down, we've examined 2010's top celebrity mistresses and sex tapes. Now, THG takes a look at the year's 10 best celebrity spats here ...

10. Brett Favre vs. Jenn Sterger    

In a classic he said/she said deal, a former Jets reporter alleged sexual harassment by the NFL legend, who says he was just hollering. Perhaps. Some say the biggest crime was thinking Brett Favre's small junk was going to impress somebody.

Brett Favre Messages to Jenn Sterger

9. Sarah Palin vs. PETA

We'd rank Sarah Palin higher, but public wars of words lose some of their edge when you go out of your way to start them. Still, her exchange with PETA over hunting was classic. Bristol Palin and Willow Palin had some good ones, too.

8. Kid Rock vs. Steven Tyler

The former called the latter's hiring by American Idol "the stupidest thing he's ever done in his life" and termed him "an idiot" for good measure. The Aerosmith rocker responded that Kid is "just jealous." Not sure about that one, Steve.

Kanye West says there's NO WAY he's returning to the Today show later this month, as he was scheduled to do, after his testy interview with Matt Lauer this week.

A few hours ago, he Tweeted: "I'm not performing on the Today Show for obvious reasons. I'm so happy the world got to see just a small piece of 'the set up.'"

In this week's interview, Kanye's infamous criticism of George W. Bush was rehashed by Lauer, but what ticked the rapper off was video clips aired by Today.

There was no love lost on the Today set this week.

Kanye grew increasingly agitated when the show aired footage of W.'s pained reaction to West's post-Katrina remarks and later of the Taylor Swift VMA incident.

At the end of that interview, Lauer said he still expected Kanye to do their show on Black Friday, as scheduled, but a rep confirms that Kanye's officially out.

What do you think? Should Kanye sack up, or did Matt take things too far, given that West is obviously remorseful? Whose side are you on?

Kanye West simply cannot stay out of controversial situations.

Perhaps he's to blame for that, but to hear him tell it, the Today show to blame for his latest highly-publicized incident. Talking to Matt Lauer, the rapper empathized with President George W. Bush about being called racist.

The feud appeared to be over right then and there. However ...

VIEW FROM THE WEST: Kanye did not appreciate being put on the spot. Whether you agree with him or not, you can empathize with how rattled he seemed.

While pensive and contrite, Kanye became visibly upset when the show played, while he was speaking, two different clips: First, Bush expressing pain over West's remarks, and later, Kanye's infamous interruption of Taylor Swift.

This sent West off into a full-blown Twitter rant, it also has received heated reactions by fans on both sides. Did Matt and NBC take it too far in rehashing the clips? Or was this, as Lauer said, simply what the TV program does?

Follow the jump, watch Kanye on Today and see what you think:

Today host Matt Lauer has feverishly denied recent reports of his infidelity and that he and his wife Annette Roque are on the rocks after 12 years of marriage.

In comments made regarding moving out amid a cheating scandal, Lauer told People, "I have never moved out. I'm not moving out. There is no truth to that."

What he didn't mention were comments by his mother-in-law, who confirmed the blowup and the fact that Matt has left the family apartment in New York City.

Johanna Struijk told the Enquirer that daughter Annette is fine in the wake of the breakup, saying "she is happy" and she no longer wears her wedding ring!

While Johanna didn't want to discuss what triggered the split, sources say an enraged Annette accused Matt of fooling around during the Winter Olympics.

Alexis Houston was/is his alleged mistresses ... or one of them. Lauer counters he was not out partying and claims he was "in bed most nights by 7:30 p.m."

People at NBC - from the higher-ups in charge of Today to colleagues Bryant Gumbel and Al Roker - have Matt Lauer's back. So why won't this story go away?

While he says he hasn't moved out of the apartment where Annette and their kids live, he's not leaving from there in the early morning hours to go to work.

Enquirer reporters have staked out the apartment in the early morning hours and haven't seen Matt leave like he did in the past when he was living there.

However, Matt shows up at the Today studios like usual - meaning he's still in town and going to work, just coming from another location other than home.

One reason for the damage control? Matt has allegedly been pressured by NBC to keep the marriage going, as female viewers prefer his family man image.

The Today show has called this inaccurate and unfounded.

Bryant Gumbel and Al Roker – friends and Today colleagues of Matt Lauer – say the TV anchor and his wife Annette Roque seem fine ... and to back off!

Echoing the couple's own angry denials of a breakup, Gumbel said: "Nobody likes being under a microscope, even in the best of times. It's not pleasant."

"I think they're doing fine. They just stay away from the glare."

Gumbel's wife Hilary also spoke in support of the Lauers: "They've made their rebuttal [to the accusations] ... They've done what they needed to do."

Lauer was said to be having an affair, and Alexis Houston (alleged sister of Whitney) was alleged to be the other woman involved in the scandal.

Today weatherman Al Roker says he doesn't believe rumors.

Matt and Annette Lauer have denied cheating allegations.

"All I know is that he's great," Roker said. "I've seen him. They're fine. It's more about things on the outside. Everything on the inside is fine."

Matt Lauer and his wife, married since 1998, blasted a report alleging that Lauer had moved out of the family's apartment amid reports of infidelity.

According to the report, the sexy beast was also looking for his own bachelor pad. He told People last week that the story was "a work of fiction."

While acknowledging vaguely the imperfections in his marriage, Lauer denied the details of the report and says everything is fine with Annette.

We hope so. The couple has three kids under the age of 10.