Ousted CNN boss Jeff Zucker seen with lover Allison Gollust after stepping down over their affair

Ousted CNN boss Jeff Zucker has been keeping his romance with long-time lover Allison Gollust alive despite the fallout from their ‘secret’ relationship.

Zucker, 56, and Gollust, 49, have been playing a game of cat and mouse as they pop in and out of blacked-out cars separately to visit their respective homes since they both ‘resigned’ from CNN, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. 

DailyMail.com observed the stealthy couple over several days traveling back-and-forth from their Manhattan apartment buildings for some quality time before finally being spotted together getting into the same SUV. 

The sightings come after Zucker (pictured) stepped down as president of CNN in February for failing to disclose his relationship with Gollust when he was being interviewed as part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo. 

Gollust (pictured) exited her position as CNN’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer after ‘violating company policy’ for ‘unethically aiding’ Governor Andrew Cuomo by agreeing to a set of questions before his on-air interviews. 

Despite the drama, the couple appear to be going strong as Gollust was seen heading to Zucker’s place three days in a row last week. 

The couple appear to be going to great lengths to keep the relationship low-key, playing a game of cat and mouse leaving and arriving at their respective homes separately to spend time with each other. 

DailyMail.com first spotted Gollust last Tuesday arriving to Zucker’s Manhattan home where she stayed for about four hours.

She then headed back to her apartment around 3pm before meeting up with her beau again around 4pm. The next day, Gollust was seen leaving Zucker’s home at noon and got some fresh air walking around the Central Park reservoir before getting a taxi and heading back to her Upper East Side apartment. 

She wore flared jeans, a black coat and a black Chanel purse as she got into a taxi. 

Zucker and Gollust claim their romance started during the pandemic, but media sources have told DailyMail.com it long predates the pandemic and was an open-secret in the CNN offices. 

One source told us ‘everyone knew’ about the affair and it had been an ‘open secret for years.’ It became so much of an issue that Warner Media separated Zucker and Gollust last year, the source claimed. 

Zucker was spotted solo Friday and Saturday as he ran errands. He kept it casual in a hoodie and slippers as he went into his apartment building. On Saturday, he visited the famous Magnolia Bakery for some treats. Zucker walked to pick up his pastries before returning straight home. 

Gollust was seen arriving later that evening. 

Both previously married, Gollust and Zucker lived in the same apartment building with their respective families and have worked together at NBC and then CNN for more than 20 years. It’s been said that they have what some called an ‘uncomfortably cozy’ rapport. Pictured: Zucker with his ex-wife Caryn in 2011. 

‘Jeff took Allison to every job he had – after they left NBC, he tried to get her on Katie Couric’s show, which failed, then he placed her at his friend Governor Cuomo’s office, then took her to CNN as soon as he could,’ a source said. They are both now divorced, and one source told DailyMail.com that their splits were due at least in part to their relationship. Pictured: Gollust with her ex-husband Billy Hult in 2008. 

Zucker quit last month as part of the fallout from the firing of former anchor Chris Cuomo, who blew the whistle on his ex-boss’ affair in his fight for $18 million severance pay he says he is owed. Chris was fired in December last year after an internal investigation found he had helped his brother Andrew, the former Governor of New York, navigate through a sexual misconduct scandal, while still working as a CNN host.