Feb 15, 2022 - Economy & Business

CNN marketing chief Allison Gollust resigns following Jeff Zucker's exit

Photo of Jeff Zucker in a suit

Former CNN President Jeff Zucker. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

CNN EVP and chief marketing officer Allison Gollust has resigned from her role after an independent investigation, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said Tuesday in a memo to staff, per the network's media correspondent.

Why it matters: Former CNN President Jeff Zucker was ousted earlier this month after it was found that he failed to properly disclose his relationship with Gollust.

  • Results from the investigation show that Gollust, Zucker and former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo all violated company policies, including CNN's News Standards and Practices, according to Kilar.

Details: The conclusion was based on interviews with over 40 people and a review of over 100,000 texts and emails, Kilar said.

  • The investigation, which was conducted by a third-party law firm and led by a former federal judge, was commissioned in September and concluded this weekend.

What he's saying: "I realize this news is troubling, disappointing, and frankly, painful to read," Kilar wrote in the memo to staff. "These are valid feelings many of you have."

  • "We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those must apply to everyone equally," he added.
  • "Given the information provided to me in the investigation, I strongly believe we have taken the right actions and the right decisions have been made."
  • CNN did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

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Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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