Jeff Zucker’s Friendship With David Zaslav Reportedly On Ice Amid CNN Turmoil

DON EMMERT/AFP

In an interview shortly after Jeff Zucker’s ouster from CNN, Warner Brothers Discovery CEO David Zaslav described the CNN boss as a close friend. But a new report indicates that friendship is very much on the rocks.

According to The New York Times, Zucker and Zaslav have not been in touch since the former left CNN in early February.

“The collateral damage [from the Warner Media-Discovery merger] has included the long friendship between Mr. Zaslav and Mr. Zucker, one-time allies in business and in life,” Times reporters John Koblin, Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin wrote. “Mr. Zucker, who once called the Discovery chief ‘the best friend that anyone could ever want, and I’m lucky that he’s mine,’ has not spoken with Mr. Zaslav since his exit on Feb. 2.”

Zucker initially told CNN staffers he planned to leave the network at the end of 2021, but that comment was made during the stewardship of then Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar — with whom Zucker reportedly had a frosty relationship. But with Zaslav set to take over following the merger with Discovery, Zucker had a change of heart.

Yet Zucker did not last until the dawn of the Zaslav era. He was ousted on February 2 over his undisclosed romance with then-CNN senior vice president Allison Gollust.