It’s been over three years since Chris Cuomo was axed from CNN — however bruised emotions stay on the community over his ouster, and the departure of his onetime boss, Jeff Zucker.
Cuomo reignited the CNN feud throughout a current episode of Patrick Guess-David’s podcast by slamming his former cable information bestie, Don Lemon, for not having his again when he was fired.
Sources, nevertheless, inform Web page Six it was Cuomo who broke the “bro code” when he allegedly backstabbed his previous boss, Jeff Zucker, and girlfriend Allison Gollust, who had been engulfed in a scandal on the time.
“Jeff put him in primetime. Jeff protected him and Chris bought him out,” a supply informed Web page Six. “He stabbed [Zucker] within the entrance [by] attempting to take the community down,” they added.
A number of sources mentioned they consider Cuomo was the whistleblower behind Zucker and Gollust’s relationship being uncovered, regardless of it being “the worst stored secret in media,” as one particular person mentioned.
Cuomo described the accusation as “absurd” in an announcement to Web page Six. (He’s at present in a $125 million authorized battle with CNN).
In the meantime, the affair led Zucker to resign as head of CNN, whereas Gollust — who as soon as labored for Cuomo’s brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — finally stepped down as CMO.
We’re informed some CNN staffers are nonetheless sore at Cuomo, who they consider, “tried to take down community,” by submitting go well with when he bought the boot.
“It felt vindictive. Jeff and Allison had been beloved. Chris was not. I don’t assume I’ve ever heard one particular person say a benefit of him,” one media insider informed Web page Six.
One other supply accustomed to the state of affairs informed us, “Nobody at CNN speaks to [Cuomo],” after he tried to “sully anybody’s credibility and repute.”
A supply informed us the state of affairs additionally ended his friendship with Lemon, who informed Mediaite final 12 months he nonetheless loves the NewsNation host.
Cuomo blasted the accusations as “absurd” and informed us, “I’ve many pals from CNN. It was an excellent place.”
“The remainder of that is absurd and can come out in litigation. If Jeff Zucker or Don Lemon wish to have an trustworthy dialog with me, they know methods to discover me,” he mentioned.
Zucker and Lemon didn’t remark.
An insider accustomed to the state of affairs then dismissed Cuomo’s feedback as “absurd,” and a “bare play for consideration.”
Cuomo and Lemon beforehand hosted “The Handoff” podcast as a derivative of their once-popular nightly handovers on CNN, between their previous exhibits, “Cuomo Prime Time” and “Don Lemon Tonight.”
Regardless of beforehand proclaiming how actual their bromance was, Cuomo mentioned within the podcast interview that the banter was simply Zucker’s concept, resulting from his concern about how Lemon would open his present.
In 2022, Zucker wrote colleagues in a memo: “As a part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo’s tenure at CNN, I used to be requested a few consensual relationship with my closest colleague, somebody I’ve labored with for greater than 20 years… I acknowledged the connection advanced lately. I used to be required to reveal it when it started however I didn’t. I used to be improper. In consequence, I’m resigning at present.”
