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Jeff Zucker said on Wednesday he is resigning as president of CNN and chairman of WarnerMedia's news and sports division, issuing a staff memo in which he acknowledged he failed to disclose a consensual relationship with a close colleague.
"As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo's tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague," Zucker wrote in the memo. "I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't."
Zucker could not immediately be reached for comment.
He did not name his colleague in the memo, but the relationship was with Allison Gollust, the chief marketing officer for the network, CNN anchor Brian Stelter said during a broadcast Wednesday, adding she was remaining at CNN.
"Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years,” Stelter quoted Gollust as saying in a separate memo of her own issued on Wednesday. “Recently, our relationship changed during Covid. I regret that we didn't disclose it at the right time. I'm incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do everyday.”
CNN is part of AT&T-owned WarnerMedia, which is being spun off in a $43 billion transaction with Discovery Inc.
Although Zucker had indicated he planned to retire from CNN, he was expected to play a prominent role in the new Warner Bros Discovery. Zucker and Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav, who will lead Warner Bros Discovery, are former colleagues and friends.
In a memo to staff, WarnerMedia Chief Executive Jason Kilar wrote he accepted Zucker's resignation and would announce an interim leadership plan shortly.
