Jeff Zucker resigns as CNN president after secret romance with senior exec Allison Gollust is exposed during Cuomo probe
CNN president Jeff Zucker has resigned after his romance with senior executive Allison Gollust was exposed. The 56-year-old media big-shot said he was stepping down in a memo on Wednesday. “As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have […]
CNN president Jeff Zucker has resigned after his romance with senior executive Allison Gollust was exposed.
The 56-year-old media big-shot said he was stepping down in a memo on Wednesday.
“As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years,” Zucker wrote.
“I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t, I was wrong,” the memo reportedly said.
Zucker then said that “as a result” he would be stepping down from his position.
The woman in question was Allison Gollust, CNN’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. She is said to be remaining at CNN.
In a statement, Gollust said: “Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years.
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“Recently, our relationship changed during Covid. I regret that we didn’t disclose it at the right time. I’m incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do everyday.”
Both Zucker and Gollust are divorced. Zucker divorced his wife of 21 years, Caryn, after reportedly “growing apart.”
Zucker and Gollust reportedly live in the same Manhattan apartment in the Upper East Side.
Zucker concluded his memo to say that he had “nine great years” with the company, adding “I certainly wish my tenure here had ended differently.”
He ended the memo saying “I wish each of you nothing but the best in the years ahead,” before signing “with gratitude and much love.”
Zucker was also the chairman of WarnerMedia’s news and sports division – which is expected to be acquired later this year by Discovery Inc.
Former President Donald Trump quickly produced a statement branding Zucker as a “sleazebag.”
“Jeff Zucker, a world-class sleazebag who has headed ratings and real-news-challenged CNN for far too long, has been terminated for numerous reasons, but predominantly because CNN has lost its way with viewers and everybody else,” Trump said.
Trump previously slammed CNN over leaked audiotapes of what appears to be the network’s boss Jeff Zucker criticizing the “erratic” president, which was recorded by a far-right outlet.
Zucker previously had a close working relationship with Trump as CEO of NBC Universal during the height of the “The Apprentice,” a reality show which saw him hire and fire contestants.
But their relationship soured and James O’Keefe of Project Veritas alleged that Zucker went on a tirade against Trump during an October 9 2020 conference.
CUOMO BROTHER LINKS
The couple’s fling was unearthed during an investigation into former anchor Chris Cuomo.
Cuomo was fired after it was revealed that he helped his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in his sexual harassment scandal.
“Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother’s defense,” CNN said in a statement at the time.
“We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately. While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light.”
Some of Cuomo’s involvement in the former governor’s office was reported months ago but the specifics have come out following the release of documents that showed that the anchor was more involved than previously thought.
Text messages obtained by New York Attorney General, Letitia James, revealed that Chris Cuomo attempted to use his connections in the press to help the governor’s team when his accusers made their stories public.
Chris Cuomo said he never reported on his brother’s scandal or tried to interfere with CNN’s coverage. He’s said he “tried to be there for my brother.”
“I’m not an adviser,” he added. “I’m a bother. I wasn’t in control of anything. I was there to listen and offer my take.”
CNN, and Zucker specifically, supported Chris Cuomo, allowing his Cuomo Prime Time show to say on the air during the scandal.
But the network ultimately suspended him on following the new information.
In his own statement, Chris commented on his termination.
“This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother,” he said.
Gollust was Cuomo’s communications director before she became the executive vice president.
She was even viewed as a top candidate to replace Zucker in a report last year.
CNN CHAOS CONTINUES
Chaos continued to ensue at CNN when Chris’s former senior producer was arrested for allegedly luring underage girls to his ski house for sexual training.
John Griffin, who reportedly worked closely with the former CNN anchor had allegedly used messaging apps to befriend the mothers of young girls.
The staffer said he should “train” their daughters sexually, according to an indictment from the US Attorney of Vermont.
Griffin allegedly got a mother of two daughters to bring a girl to his Ludlow ski house in June 2020.
According to the indictment, Griffin had said it was the mother’s responsibility to see that her 13-year-old daughter was “trained properly”.
Griffin allegedly sent the woman $3,000 for plane tickets to fly from Nevada to Logan Airport in Boston, where he picked them up to take them to Ludlow, according to court papers.
Authorities claim the girl was “directed to engage in, and did engage in, unlawful sexual activity.”
Griffin attempted to seduce two other children over the internet, according to the indictment, and allegedly favored apps like Kik and Google Hangout.
Also in June 2020, Griffin allegedly told another mother of a 16-year-old girl to take a “little mother-daughter trip” to the staffer’s ski house for sexual training.
FBI agents arrested Griffin last year after a federal grand jury in Vermont charged him with three counts of attempting to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
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