WarnerMedia had made an arrangement with their former employee the former CNN Chief Jeff Zucker in exchange for not suing them after they forced him to resign from his position.
It was on February 2 of this year when Zucker announced his resignation from CNN after he revealed that he had a relationship with a senior network executive.
According to Deadline’s Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson’s statement:
“Details of the confidential package are obviously being kept close to the vest, but sources tell us Zucker made the decision several weeks ago to accept what had been put on the table by his old bosses at the time of his cable news exit. What we do know is that, if WarnerMedia keeps their side of the deal, in the next week to 10 days, Zucker will receive a one-time payment of around $10 million.”
Zucker wrote in a memo to employees:
“As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.”
The Deadline report added that Zucker wants to move on from his controversial CNN departure and pursue the next chapter of his career. In connection with this agreement with WarnerMedia, the one-time NBCUniversal head honcho has waived any future right or intention to pursue litigation against his old corporate overlords.
Hired by Zucker around the time of his abrupt February 2 CNN adieu, Hollywood heavyweight litigator Patricia Glaser of Glaser Weil quickly penned a chilly note to WarnerMedia warning them that CEO Jason Kilar’s characterization of how everything went down was inching close to becoming defamatory towards her client.
CEO Jason Kilar of WarnerMedia said that Zucker and Gollust’s relationship has violated company policies related directly to the news network’s standards and practices.
Their violations were found during a third-party probe into CNN’s handling of the “issues” associated with Chris Cuomo and his big brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D.
Kilar wrote, indicating Zucker’s nondisclosed sexual relationship “The investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo,” Kilar added that it was not the reason he was forced to step down after all.
As per Gollust, she also stepped down as the executive vice president and chief marketing officer after Zucker acknowledged their relationship.
But according to Former President Donald Trump, the reason why Zucker resigned had little to do with “concealing a relationship.”
On February 3, Trump said in a statement:
“Jeff Zucker is not out at CNN for ‘concealing a relationship’ as the Fake New York Times writes on its front-page headline.”
“Zucker is happy and proud (and lucky!) that he can have a relationship. He is out because of horrible ratings down 90%, an all-time low!”
Sources: Newsmax, Deadline, Fox News, The Daily Reformer