It’s been a week for the staff at CNN. Jeff Zucker, their admired leader, was forced to resign on Wednesday and, in the days since, no one from AT&T or WarnerMedia has provided them with satisfactory answers for why he was so abruptly and mercilessly defenestrated. In the view of dozens of CNN insiders that I’ve spoken with, the love and loyalty between Zucker and his comms chief, Allison Gollust, were well known. The two were genuinely best friends, work spouses, and intimately close advisers, who spent nearly every minute together, even on weekends, and if you called him she might be the one to answer his phone. Was the fact that Zucker had failed to disclose their Covid-era evolution to a more-than-platonic relationship really grounds for an immediate termination, many have wondered aloud, both in the newsroom and on-air?
Try Puck for free
Sign up today to join the inside conversation at the nexus of Wall Street, Washington, A.I., Hollywood, and more.
Already a member? Log In
- Daily articles and breaking news
- Personal emails directly from our authors
- Gift subscriber-only stories to friends & family
- Unlimited access to archives
- Exclusive bonus days of select newsletters
- Exclusive access to Puck merch
- Early bird access to new editorial and product features
- Invitations to private conference calls with Puck authors
Exclusive to Inner Circle only
Latest Articles from Media
Bari’s Prison of Her Own Design
The Politico Succession Games Begin…
Tony and Bari on the Rocks
Semafornication
The Tony Accords
Common Sense & Sensibility
The Weiss Flag
Get access to this story
Enter your email for a free preview of Puck’s full offering, including exclusive articles, private emails from authors, and more.
Latest Articles from Media
The 2025 Media State of the Union
The Gulf of Semafor
The Lanzone That Time Forgot
A Weiss Christmas
CNN’s Bari Christmas
The Nuzzicracker Ballet
Substack Entrapment Theory
You have 1 free article Left
To read this full story and more, start your 14 day free trial today →
Already a member? Log In
Get access to this story
Enter your email to get access to one article and free previews of our private emails from Puck authors and editors.
Already a Member? Sign in
Latest Articles from Media
Roman Holiday
Zaz’s Hollywood Endings
A Brave Nuzzi World
The RedBird Balloon
The Bankoff Job
Stan By Me