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How CNN and Jeff Zucker targeted Radar Online to try and kill Allison Gollust affair scoop

After learning Radar Online was going public with Zucker - Gollust affair, CNN has been accused of 'targeting' the website with comments by Brian Stelter
UPDATED FEB 3, 2022
President Jeff Zucker of CNN Worldwide (Photo by Robert Marquardt/Getty Images)
President Jeff Zucker of CNN Worldwide (Photo by Robert Marquardt/Getty Images)

February 2, 2022, will go down as one of CNN's most chaotic days. In the morning, longtime President Jeff Zucker announced he was leaving the company after it emerged he was involved in an affair with colleague Allison Gollust. Zucker confirmed he had not revealed the relationship to HR, despite it being widespread knowledge inside CNN. 

Angry staffers, including CNN's chief media correspondent Brian Stelter, quickly attacked former anchor Chris Cuomo, blaming him for the expose. The tide of anger also turned on Stelter, as many were furious he did not report on the relationship earlier, despite being a close friend of Zucker. In fact, Stelter is now facing calls to be sacked and it seems the story doesn't end there. 

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A new report reveals that Zucker and Stelter knew the expose was coming and chose to go on the offensive. Reportedly, Stelter led the charge to discredit Radar Online, which broke the news of Zucker and Gollust's affair. It's just the latest twist in the messy fallout of Cuomo's sacking, which appears to have left CNN incredibly dirty.

Jeff Zucker speaks onstage at IGNITION: Future of Media at Time Warner Center on November 29, 2017, in New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Who leaked news of the affair?

According to many insiders, including Stelter, Cuomo was responsible for making news of Zucker and Golust's affair public. Cuomo is seeking $18 million that he is still owed from his contract, which Zucker refused to pay, citing "conflict of interest" over Cuomo's reporting of his brother. That refusal has led Cuomo to not just sue CNN, but also allegedly play a role in the story leaking to the media.

Back on January 4, 2021, Radar Online first reported on the affair, noting that both Zucker and Gollust "have been involved in a clandestine romance dating back years." The website cited "multiple sources" including from inside the network with its scoop, but never named any of them due to "fear of reprisal." That scoop quickly exploded online and on February 2, Zucker announced he was stepping down over the affair. It was never confirmed who revealed the story to Radar Online, but more recently, many staffers have anonymously told the media that the affair was "the worst kept secret in the building."

Hours after Zucker's announcement, Radar Online published another story claiming they were "targeted" by CNN over the scoop, naming Stelter as a key individual in the attacks. 

Brian Stelter during the 2015 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at the W Hotel on March 16, 2015, in Austin, Texas. (Natalie Cass/Getty Images)

Radar Online attacked

On January 3, Stelter slammed Radar via his newsletter, writing, "I have some personal experience with Radar's lies, so allow me a short rant. They post something nutty; they claim to have multiple sources, but they don't check with the subject at all, and they aren't swayed by reality." Stelter added, "Ordinary users end up reading, sharing, and sometimes believing a lie without realizing the original story was garbage. Radar wins page views and loses nothing because it had no credibility to start with. Sad!"

On February 2, Radar claimed that Stelter's criticism was meant to be an attack on Radar, because of the expose. Before publishing in January, Radar claims it contacted Zucker, Gollust, and CNN for comment on the story. "Radar told Zucker and Gollust it was publishing the next day. It was only then that Stelter went on the attack," they wrote. Radar says one source asked them, "Did Zucker and Gollust abuse their roles in the reporting methods of CNN by using Stelter as their attack dog?" Again, the source has not been named.

"An investigation needs to be opened into the role he and Gollust might have played in the Stelter attack," the source said. Another source added, "It’s either incredible timing for Stelter or part of Jeff’s dirty work."

Right now, these remain allegations that are yet to be proven. But whether it is true or not, it shows just how messy things have gotten at CNN since Cuomo was fired. 

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