Matt Lauer‘s inner circle is dwindling. A source tells In Touch exclusively the disgraced Today host’s friends are “exhausted” by him following his scathing op-ed against Ronan Farrow.

“Anyone who was close to Matt seems to be exhausted by his arrogance over it all,” the insider divulges. “Matt’s old colleagues have mixed feelings, both on the person they knew and the person he is today, but few are surprised about him coming out and attacking the claims against him.”

Matt Lauer's Friends Are 'Exhausted' By Him After Ronan Farrow Drama
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Matt Lauer
Maserati Quattroporte Zegna Limited Edition event, New York, America – 09 Sep 2014
Maserati and Ermenegildo Zegna Celebrate the One of 100 Maserati Quattroporte Zegna Limited Edition

On May 19, Lauer penned a lengthy piece via Mediaite, venting his thoughts about Farrow’s reporting in his book Catch and Kill. He also, once again, denied former NBC employee Brooke Nevils‘ sexual assault allegations against him.

“Will anyone hold Ronan Farrow thoroughly accountable? I doubt it,” the father of three — who shares kids Jack, Romy and Thijs with ex-wife Annette Roque — wrote. “I ask people to consider how they would react if someone they loved were accused of something horrific and basic journalistic standards were ignored because of a desire to sell books. I also urge people to remember that there are two sides to all stories.”

Matt Lauer Annette Roque Eighth Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball 2012
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The former Dateline NBC contributor continued, “Ronan knows, as well as anyone, that there is a great deal of fear surrounding this subject, and it would take an act of selfless bravery (some might say foolishness) for anyone to challenge him or the story of an alleged victim of sexual assault.”

He added that Nevils’ allegation was part of a “promotional rollout” for Farrow’s book, which was “outrageously … used to sell books.”

In response, Farrow fired back on Twitter, writing, “All I’ll say on this is that Matt Lauer is just wrong. Catch and Kill was thoroughly reported and fact-checked, including with Matt Lauer himself.”

Following his op-ed, Lauer was spotted sporting a new tattoo on his forearm in photos obtained by In Touch. He displayed the fresh ink while cruising around Sag Harbor, New York in his car on May 20. The cryptic message read, “Hatred corrodes the container it’s carried in.”

If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.

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