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Zucker had been at CNN since 2013 and had been expected to leave later this year. Former Today Show host Katie Couric, who had been a close friend of Zucker as he rose through the ranks at NBC, wrote in her recent memoir that she suspected a relationship between Zucker and Gollust years earlier. Their relationship had inspired tabloid coverage Gollust had previously worked closely with Zucker during his tenure at NBC. Gollust wrote that she would be staying at the network.īoth Zucker and Gollust are divorced.
CNN NEWS ANCHOR RESIGNS PROFESSIONAL
In a statement, marketing chief Allison Gollust said their relationship, which she described as a close professional and personal rapport built over more than two decades, had deepened into a romantic tie during the pandemic. Few were surprised by the identity of the executive, however. Several CNN staffers said they were shocked by Zucker's announcement. He said he disclosed the nature of his relationship with the network's chief marketing officer when asked as part of the network's investigation into former star host Chris Cuomo. "I was wrong," Zucker wrote in a note to CNN's staff. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia)Īfter a memorable nine years leading CNN through triumph, controversy and scandal, Jeff Zucker abruptly resigned as president of the network Wednesday morning, saying he had failed to acknowledge a romantic relationship with another senior executive at its outset. Kilar named three CNN execs – Michael Bass, Amy Entelis and Ken Jautz – as interim replacements for Zucker, who he said would remain in place until Discovery's merger with WarnerMedia is completed this spring.Jeff Zucker resigned Wednesday as chairman of WarnerMedia and president of CNN, telling staff he had failed to disclose a romantic relationship with a colleague when it began. EST slot formerly occupied by "Cuomo Prime Time."
CNN NEWS ANCHOR RESIGNS SERIES
A series of interim hosts has filled in on the 9 p.m. Cuomo was fired late last year, more than three months after Andrew Cuomo resigned.
CNN NEWS ANCHOR RESIGNS HOW TO
Zucker stood by Cuomo for months despite revelations the anchor consulted with his brother over how to respond to a sexual harassment scandal that enveloped the governor. I regret that we didn't disclose it at the right time." Both Gollust and Zucker are divorced. "Recently, our relationship changed during COVID. "Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years," Gollust said in a statement at the time of Zucker's resignation, asserting their sexual relationship was more recent and that she planned to remain in her role. Gollust, a key Zucker lieutenant, previously reported to Zucker and served as his top spokeswoman, both at CNN and his earlier tenure at NBC. "I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't.
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"I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years," he continued. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. The departure of Gollust follows the disclosure of a sexual relationship between her Zucker, which was previously cited as the cause of the CNN chief's ouster on Feb.
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The inquiry was performed by a third-party law firm and led by a former federal judge, the memo said. In Kilar's memo, he said the investigation that concluded last week relied on interviews and a review of 100,000-plus texts and emails. "We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those rules must apply to everyone equally." "I realize this news is troubling, disappointing, and, frankly, difficult to read," Kilar wrote. WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar said in a memo to staff Tuesday that a third-party investigation found that Gollust – along with the network's former chief Jeff Zucker and ousted CNN anchor Chris Cuomo – violated company policies. Allison Gollust, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at CNN, has resigned following an investigation into “issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo,” according to a company memo obtained by USA TODAY.
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