Jeff Zucker Says Relationship With Allison Gollust Was Pretext for CNN Ouster: ‘I Gave Them a Gun and They Shot Me With It’
thewrap.comThe New York Times.“I gave them a gun, and they shot me with it,” Zucker said, according to those sources.Zucker’s abrupt resignation in February 2022 put a spotlight on Gollust, his longtime lieutenant and the network’s chief marketing officer.
Gollust, who had worked with Zucker for decades and rejoined CNN in 2013 as his “closest colleague,” had been identified as the woman with whom he had a “consensual relationship,” which he didn’t disclose to CNN owner at the time, AT&T, in apparent violation of company policies.Gollust resigned two weeks after Zucker’s ouster and following a WarnerMedia investigation into Chris Cuomo and his efforts to help his brother, former New York Gov.
Andrew Cuomo. WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said in a memo at the time, “The investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust and Chris Cuomo.”Since their terminations, Zucker and Gollust have continued their relationship out in the open, traveling to Las Vegas to see Taylor Swift in concert and attending the Sports Emmy Awards at the invitation of Bryant Gumbel and Matt Lauer.Zucker’s frequent expression of frustration and dissatisfaction with the terms of his exit and criticism of the current CNN chief, Chris Licht, has become louder as time has passed.
According to the Times, Zucker has become the go-to guy for current employees of the network who have grievances about Licht’s choice of direction.But the network’s numbers legitimize criticism.
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