The ousted Chris Cuomo made Jeff Zucker resign from CNN.
According to Zucker, he is resigning because he failed to reveal his relationship with Gollust while he was being interviewed for the Chris Cuomo investigation.
Gollust and Gollust say the relationship began during COVID. However, media sources inform DailyMail.com that it was long before the pandemic.
Their families lived in the same building as them, they worked together for more than twenty years at NBC and CNN and developed a ‘comfortably close’ bond.
Both are now divorcing, according to DailyMail.com. One source said that the split was due partly to their relationship.
Politico quotes two sources unnamed who claim that Chris Cuomo’s legal team was the one who brought the romance to surface during negotiations for host’s severance payment.
Chris was fired last December after an internal probe revealed that he had been helping his brother Andrew (ex-Governor of New York) navigate through the scandal of sexual misconduct. He also worked as a CNN anchor.
He’s still fighting for $18million — the rest of his contract. But Zucker refused to pay, citing conflict of interests between Chris and his brother Chris as well as his CNN reporting.
Politico sources claim that Chris Cuomo’s staff said it was hypocritical to fire Zucker for a conflict in interest, when he already has one with Gollust.
Gollust worked briefly as Andrew Cuomo’s communications manager. However, it is unknown when she split with her husband Billy, who manages a trading site. Billy hasn’t commented.
Open secret: Jeff Zucker with Allison Gollust, at the Billy Joel concert at Madison Square Garden (November 5, 2021) (right), and Don Lemon (bottom left). On Wednesday, Zucker was forced to resign as CNN President due to their relationship and the fact that he told lies while being quizzed about Chris Cuomo’s investigation. Photo courtesy Radar Online
According to Politico sources, Chris Cuomo was arguing that he should not be penalized for a conflict of interest with his brother while discussing the severance package from CNN. Chris was saying that he shouldn’t be penalized because of his conflict of interest. However, Zucker was guilty in fostering an affair of his own, according to Politico’s sources.
Allison Gollust and Jeff Zucker are pictured in 2016 Tom Brokaw is shown (center) with the pair. According to CNN insiders, their romance was an open secret’. DailyMail.com has been told by them that it is only developing in ‘COVID.
Zucker, his ex-wife Caryn Cuomo and Chris Cuomo 2014 (the year Zucker joined Facebook).
With their families, both Zucker and Gollust lived in the Upper East Side apartment block. According to sources, her apartment was one floor higher than his. It is believed that he sold the apartment in 2018 during his divorce.
CNN President Jeff Zucker announced abruptly Wednesday his resignation. In a memo, he said that he had a “consensual relationship” with an old colleague who he has known for over 20 years.
DailyMail.com received a report Wednesday from a source confirming that the affair has been open for several years.
‘Jeff’s affair with Allison has been going on forever – not since COVID!
“Everyone knew it, but he denied it. He was not alone in his divorce.
‘It was inevitable that it would come out – he should have been up front sooner.’
Another stated, “It wasn’t the best kept secret in the building.
‘Jeff’s office was right next to Allison’s office at Hudson Yards and before that at the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle.
‘The joke was they weren’t only sharing a wall. This happened only because of pandemic. These two have been in close proximity for many years.
‘The closest it ever came to being outed was when Page Six reported on their “heavy exchange” at the Hollywood Reporter’s 35 Most Powerful People in NY Media party.
‘They had a very public fight at the party that didn’t seem to have anything to do with work.’
Zucker has admitted to lying about how the romance started during the probe into whether Chris Cuomo was the former network’s most popular host and whether he helped Andrew Cuomo through his scandal of sexual harassment.
I acknowledged that our relationship had changed in recent years. Although I had to reveal it at the beginning, I chose not. It was an error.
Zucker and his ex-wife Caryn (left), and Gollust in 2008 with Billy (right). They have been friends for over 20 years and started their careers together at ABC. Media sources claim that the affair was an open secret.
He said, “As such, I am resigning today.”
Michael Bass and Amy Entelis will be leading the new CNN leadership team, along with Ken Jautz und Ken Jautz.
Internal emails indicate that Ken Jautz and Amy Entelis will assume the roles of interim bosses. Bass will lead the new leadership team.
But sources say Bass – who Zucker promoted to replace himself as Executive Producer on the Today show – is one of Zucker’s right-hand men and shouldn’t be considered for the job.
‘The appointment of Michael Bass to the top job – even on an interim basis is outrageous.
‘Michael and Jeff are very close friends. Both attended Harvard, and they have been supportive of each other all their lives.
‘It’s such a boys club and an absolute joke.’
One of the most important men in media is Zucker.
His career has been filled with enemies, including Donald Trump, who celebrated Trump’s resignation.
After Zucker’s departure, this email arrived at CNN’s staff on Wednesday.
Zucker’s resignation takes effect immediately. However, Gollust will remain at the network. An Executive Vice President of Public Relations at CNN. She will continue her duties despite Zucker’s resignation.
Since his firing in December, Chris Cuomo is at war with CNN.
Following an investigation conducted by the New York Attorney General’s Office into Andrew’s sexual misconduct scandal, the network terminated him.
Chris didn’t discuss it on CNN, but he did use his journalistic skills to find out more about the women who made claims against his brother. According to the AG report.
CNN received another claim from a colleague that he had been inappropriate with her in the days preceding his dismissal. Chris Cuomo vigorously refuted that claim.
Gollust said that she will continue at the network and confirmed this in an statement released Wednesday to the New York Times.
After the Chris Cuomo scandal, CNN President Jeff Zucker abruptly resigned Wednesday
She wrote, “Jeff has been close to me and my professional partner for more than 20 years,”
“Recently our relationship was changed by COVID. It’s a shame that it wasn’t disclosed at the appropriate time.
“I am extremely proud of CNN’s time and look forward the continuing great work that we do every day.”
Last November saw the couple spotted together at a Billy Joel concert. They were called out by their fellow musicians for violating mask regulations. However, they did not get any attention.
2017 saw Gollust and Zucker engage in heated arguments at the Hollywood Reporter’s 35 Most Powerful People In NY Media party.
According to a source, Gollust and Zucker suddenly began intensely talking while they were having the party. They then made anguished gestures and started speaking before Gollust ran off into the crowd.
“It seemed like she was disciplining her husband, or some such thing,” mocked a rival news executive.
Another journalist has also mentioned the romance.
Katie Couric wrote in her book about how Zucker attempted to force Gollust onto Couric’s show despite not having a role.
“I wondered why Jeff wanted to bring Allison aboard.
‘She and her husband and kids had moved into the apartment right above Jeff and Caryn’s—everyone who heard about their cozy arrangement thought it was super strange.
‘By that point, Caryn (Zucker’s ex-wife) had become a close friend and it made me really uncomfortable,’ Katie wrote in her memoir.
Over the years, Zucker had a lot of enemies at CNN. Most notable was Donald Trump.
Trump announced his resignation Wednesday. He said in an email statement that he had resigned because of the loss of its connection with viewers and everyone else.
“Now is the time to stop Fake News. There may not be any more important than removing the horrible LameStream Media from our Country and, in the case with CNN, around the World.
‘Jeff Zucker is gone—congratulations to all!’ He said.
Megyn Kelly, former FOX News host, tweeted: ‘Zucker’s relationship with Gollust went on for years, and what he did to keep her near him (as he kept advancing her up the line) will be even more stunning to the CNN news room.’