Was Katie Couric NOT Chris Cuomo responsible for blowing lid off Jeff Zucker-Allison Gollust affair?
Journalist Katie Couric may have been the first to blow the lid off Jeff Zucker and Allison Gollust's possible relationship. It initially seemed like it was the Chris Cuomo investigation that ultimately led to the disclosure of Zucker's relationship. However, Couric, in her memoir titled 'Going There', had earlier expressed her "disappointment" in Zucker over allegations of his possible relationship with Gollust.
CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker stepped down from his position and resigned from the global news network reportedly on account of an undisclosed romantic relationship with a colleague. Zucker, 56, submitted a memo to the team where he admitted that he was "wrong" in not disclosing his relationship to the management, which is a mandatory protocol. The romance came to light during an internal investigation into Chris Cuomo, who was fired last year.
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Zucker, who was previously married to Caryn Zucker, had a consensual relationship with a senior executive at CNN for the past few years. As part of the Cuomo probe, Zucker was inquired about his alleged romance with the executive, when he revealed that their relationship "evolved in the recent years." Zucker did not disclose her identity, but CNN identified her as Gollust. He said that he has been working with the person for the past two decades. "I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today," he said.
Zucker and Gollust were still married when their romantic relationship bagan, reports claim. When Gollust became the cable giant’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Couric had questioned how she got the position. “At a certain point, Jeff made a huge push to bring on Allison Gollust (to her daytime television show),” the legendary tv host wrote. Claiming they were "joined at the hip," Couric said, "We’d already hired a PR person for the show. There really wasn’t a role for Allison.”
Couric claimed that Zucker pushed on. “I had to wonder why Jeff was angling so hard to bring Allison on board. 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," she noted.
Couric had refused to hire Gollust. She claimed that she was overlooked for a job at CNN, although she had pushed for Zucker to get the role of boss. “His first hire? Allison Gollust. Oh, and I never did hear from him about that job," she said.
Following the recent revelations about Jeff and Gollust's relationship, Gollust issued a statement saying, "Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed during Covid. I regret that we didn't disclose it at the right time."