In 2006, the wife of "Today" show anchor Matt Lauer, 58, filed for divorce only to withdraw the lawsuit after about a month. Court documents have surfaced revealing Annette Roque Lauer, 48, accused the celebrity of "Cruel and inhuman" treatment during the course of their marriage.

InTouch Magazine reported that the treatment was caused by the host's "control freak" personality and also alleges that aside from cruelty, there are also allegations of "extreme anger and hostility."

This is damning information as Matt has always been perceived as a calm, level-headed and likable character.

"The conduct of defendant [Matt] so endangers the physical and mental well-being of the plaintiff [Annette] so as to render it unsafe and improper for plaintiff to cohabit with defendant," argued Nancy Chemtob, an attorney for Annette, a former model.

The papers also say that the popular TV personality has repeatedly chosen his job over this wife and then two children.

The paperwork continued to outline: "Defendant has continuously and repeatedly given higher priority to ... personal interests than his family obligations to plaintiff, causing plaintiff to feel abandoned, isolated and alone in raising the parties' children."

Moreover, Matt's wife and her legal team also claim that Matt was "extremely controlling" of his wife and detailed how the high-earning "Today" icon refused "to allow plaintiff to make even the smallest decisions without his approval, including, but not limited to, decisions regarding finances, travel plans, decorating the parties' homes and domestic help issues."

Mail Online reported that following Annette's filing, Matt's team responded to the claims saying any such "cruel and inhuman treatment" that Annette may have been subjected to was "provoked."

Speaking to RadarOnline, A source close to the couple commented on the papers and said: Matt and Annette just happily celebrated their 16-year wedding anniversary over dinner with their three children."

"These divorce papers were filed more than eight years ago and revoked three weeks later. In New York at that time, irreconcilable differences could not be considered grounds for divorce. A spouse had to prove cruel and in-humane or unsafe treatment, which meant that lawyers had to establish grounds," concluded the source.

A few years earlier, Lauer's possible negative personality was highlighted when many thought he was responsible for the sacking of TV colleague, Ann Curry in 2012.

Matt and Annette wed in 2008 and celebrated 16 years of marriage earlier this month with their three children, 13-year-old Jack, 11-year-old Romy and 7-year-old Thijs, who was born two months after Annette filed for divorce.