Jeff Zucker, the president of CNN Worldwide, revealed on Wednesday morning that he was stepping down from his position immediately after reshaping the iconic network.
The media executive's stunning news came less than two months after he fired prime-time anchor Chris Cuomo for his alleged support of his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The official was facing accusations of sexual misconduct from several female personnel.
CNN CEO Resigns
In a memo, Zucker told CNN employees that authorities questioned him regarding a consensual relationship with his closest colleague as part of the investigation into Chris' tenure at the media outlet. He noted that the person was someone that he had worked with for more than two decades.
During the questioning, the official said he acknowledged that his relationship with the individual grew into something more in recent years. Zucker said officials required him to disclose the fact of when it began, but he declined to do so, admitting that it was the wrong thing to do. It was the reason he used in his resignation, as per CNN.
On the other hand, the individual that Zucker had a relationship with was identified to be chief spokesperson Allison Gollust. The reveal of the secret affair has caused many female employees at CNN to become furious as to why she still had a job with the company.
The workers are criticizing Gollust for being able to keep her career despite allegedly lying about her secret affair with Zucker for years. Some have noted that CNN was supposed to be a transparent news network and raised the concern of Gollust's situation.
The New York Post reported that shortly after Zucker sent the memo announcing his resignation, Gollust released a statement revealing that despite being professional colleagues, her relationship with the CEO changed over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. One insider said that the remark was a lie and claimed that the two had been together for several years.
Who is Allison Gollust
Katie Couric, a journalist, revealed in her 2021 memoir "Going There," that Zucker previously pressured her to hire Gollust to handle publicity on her short-lived syndicated show "Katie." She said she wondered why the official was so intent on bringing Gollust on board and called the entire situation bewildering.
Previously, Gollust worked as the communications director for former New York Gov. Andrew before coming back to CNN and rejoining Zucker. In February, Gollust was reportedly at the top of the list of an internal document of names who could potentially take on Zucker's position.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer claimed that Gollust had direct responsibility for why CNN did not take immediate actions against Chris. She alleges that Gollust delayed the investigation because of her relationship with the ex-governor.
More reports were revealed on Wednesday that shows Chris' lawyers' letter to CNN where they demanded the preservation of all communications between Zucker, Gollust, and Andrew. Five years ago, Gollust reportedly got into a heated exchange with Zucker where she looked like she was reprimanding her husband, according to The Wrap.
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