NEW YORK — Allison Gollust, CNN’s chief marketing officer and the romantic partner of ousted CNN leader Jeff Zucker, resigned Tuesday.
Gollust, 49, was wrapped up in the network’s investigation of ex-anchor Chris Cuomo, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said in a letter shared by CNN media reporter Brian Stelter.
Zucker, 56, resigned Feb. 2 and acknowledged a consensual relationship with another CNN executive. Though she went unnamed in Zucker’s letter, that executive was widely known to be Gollust.
But while Zucker left early, Gollust stuck around for two weeks as the Cuomo investigation was completed.
Cuomo was unceremoniously canned in December after that same investigation found he tried to help his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, dig up dirt on women who accused the governor of sexual assault.
Kilar said Tuesday that the probe, conducted by a third party, was wrapped up over the weekend.
“Based on interviews of more than 40 individuals and a review of over 100,000 texts and emails, the investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust and Chris Cuomo,” Kilar wrote.
Many CNN employees defended Zucker after he departed. His relationship with Gollust was widely seen as an open secret across the company prior to the Cuomo investigation.
“I realize this news is troubling, disappointing, and frankly, painful to read,” Kilar wrote. “These are valid feelings many of you have.”
Multiple CNN employees reportedly believed that Cuomo was upset at Zucker over his firing and wanted to take his former boss down with him.
“Notice Zucker mentioned how this came from the Cuomo investigation,” an anonymous CNN source told The Daily Beast after Zucker left. “People think this is clearly Cuomo dragging down Zucker on his way out.”
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