Big yikes. Matt Lauer’s daughter, Romy Lauer, reportedly crashed into a fence and a sign with her Jeep Wrangler in the Hamptons, but she left the scene of the accident before authorities arrived.
When the local cops showed up, they found the license plate from Romy’s car, which had apparently fallen off in the midst of the fender bender, according to Page Six. Sources told the outlet that the license plate allowed authorities to identify Romy, 20, and she’s “been issued a summons for leaving the scene of an accident.”
According to the report, a call was made to 911 in the early hours of July 5 about a crash on North Sea Mecox Road. A concerned citizen described hearing a loud crash and called the police in case someone was injured. When authorities arrived, they discovered a downed fence and sign, but there was no driver in sight. Page Six reported that a ticket was issued and attorney Edward Burke Jr. was “currently involved in the case and resolving this for Ms. Lauer.”
Burke has a long list of high-end and celebrity clients, including Romy’s dad, Matt, 66. In 2015, the former Today coanchor claimed that his neighbors frightened the horses he owned at his farm in Water Mill, New York. He wanted to plant trees to prevent his horses from getting scared and potentially injured. However, the neighbors argued that if Matt were to plant trees it would violate the terms of an easement, according to 27 East.
Burke spoke on Matt’s behalf at the public hearing and said, “It’s not about celebrity status and seeking to shut out the outside world, and it’s not about creative measures under our town code to orchestrate some kind of legal loophole. It’s about coming before you tonight seeking help. We’re concerned because our approved riding trail and our approved paddock area are in very close proximity to our neighbors and their backyard, and their rightful backyard activities. We’re not here to diminish them in any way.”
Burke also represented Justin Timberlake for his arrest earlier this summer. Justin, 43, was arrested on DWI-related charges on June 17 while driving in Sag Harbor.
The “Cry Me a River” singer had dinner at the American Hotel with friends before leaving in his 2025 BMW. When Justin ran a stop sign and failed to stay on the right side of the road, police pulled him over. The criminal complaint stated that Justin’s “eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests.”
After failing the sobriety tests, the officer determined that The Social Network star was “operating the vehicle in an intoxicated condition” and he was “placed under arrest, processed and held overnight.” Following his arraignment on June 18, Justin was photographed leaving the Sag Harbor Municipal Building with Burke. Two days after his arrest, the pop star broke his silence with a statement from Burke.
“[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations,” Burke said in a statement to In Touch on June 19. “He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time.”
Source Agencies
