Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker fired Chris Cuomo to allegedly ingratiate himself with incoming corporate overlord David Zaslav, according to an explosive report on the power struggle at the floundering news channel.
Zucker cut ties with the network’s top-ranked anchor in December 2021, pinning the decision on Cuomo helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, combat sexual misconduct allegations.
But Zucker’s real reason was to please Zaslav, the chief executive of CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery, and score a promotion following Discovery’s $43 billion acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T, Cuomo’s legal team claimed in court documents cited by Variety.
After sacking the outspoken 52-year-old anchor, Zucker called Zaslav — who had made it clear he wanted CNN to return to its nonpartisan roots — to tell him the news before it broke, sources told Variety in its 4,500-word article titled “Inside the Battle for CNN: Jeff Zucker, David Zaslav, Chris Licht and 18 Months of Crazy Backstabbing” published Tuesday.
Cuomo, who has since landed on little-watched NewsNation, filed an arbitration case in March 2022 demanding $125 million in damages from his former employer over the firing.
“CNN fostered a culture in which the network’s standards and practices were a constantly moving target, modified at CNN executives’ discretion as they saw fit. And that culture began at the top with Zucker,” the court documents alleged.
Cuomo’s lawyers plan to call Zaslav as a witness in the case, the outlet reported.
The Post has sought comment from Cuomo’s representatives and legal counsel.
A Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson told The Post on Wednesday that Zaslav was never given advance warning by Zucker of Cuomo’s firing.
A rep for Zucker declined to comment on Cuomo’s claims.
Zucker’s purported ploy seemingly failed to sway Zaslav.
The veteran TV executive was ousted shorty after the new regime took over in 2022 for not disclosing a long-term relationship with a CNN underling.
Meanwhile, Cuomo’s legal team cited previous instances where CNN staffers were allowed to keep their jobs despite violating company policy.
For example, when CNN let chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin — who was suspended for getting caught masturbating during a video conference with staffers at the New Yorker magazine, which fired him — allowed him to “return to work without even issuing a public apology,” according to the court filing.
Other “transgressions” which CNN ignored cited in court documents involved hate-crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett’s testimony that former anchor Don Lemon texted him that cops didn’t believe his claims — which Lemon later denied — as well as Washington anchor Jake Tapper’s efforts to convince Republican Sean Parnell to not challenge US Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.).
Zucker’s massive shadow continues to haunt the network, according to Variety.
Various reports have touted the possibility that Zucker is putting together deep-pocketed backers to help him buy the ratings-challenged network.
Sources say Zucker sees a big opportunity at CNN ahead of the 2024 presidential election after ex-CEO Chris Licht’s strategy to revamp the network’s programming to appeal to a more centrist audience flopped, sending ratings and ad revenue tumbling.
“Jeff is likely going to make a bid this fall to purchase,” a source with knowledge told The Post last week.
“I wouldn’t count Zucker out,” said a friend of the exec, noting that the seasoned TV mogul “holds a grudge” and will find a way to “be back on top.”
According to Variety, though, it’s unlikely that Zucker and Zaslav are in talks over a potential CNN bid.
“Any allegation or insinuation that Jeff has made any effort to purchase CNN is unequivocally false,” a spokesperson for Zucker told The Post on Wednesday.
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
