Did He Know About Matt Lauer’s Perversions? Much More than Cuomo’s Brothers Scandal
Rolling Stone reporter Tatiana Siegel has the goods on Jeff Zucker, Andrew Cuomo, Allison Gollust, and Matt Lauer, which exposes the former CNN President as someone spending his three decades long career “in craven pursuit of ratings and power”, and worse, “a career that would foster a toxic culture” at both NBC and CNN.
Based on 36 interviews, and in possession of all of the texts and emails between the relevant parties, Siegel not only seals the deal on the journalistic impropriety between Zucker, Allison Gollust, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, but also reminds us of Zucker’s leadership of NBC during the 2000’s, when Donald Trump rose to fame on The Apprentice, and Matt Lauer sexually harassed dozens of NBC employees.
Siegel’s story can be read here: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/jeff-zucker-cnn-resign-affair-cuomo-trump-1319698/
The story is journalism at its best; a painstakingly thorough analysis where Siegel uses Zucker, Gollust and Cuomo’s own words, texts and emails to make the case against them.
Two of Gollust’s text to Governor Cuomo, who she once worked for and continued to share a friendship with, have her telling Zucker, at the beginnng of the pandemic, that Cuomo wanted to come on CNN and also wanted to speak to Zucker. After Cuomo’s appearance on CNN, Gollust texted Cuomo: “Well done . . . Cuomo-W. Trump-L.”
Gollust sent another laudatory text to Andrew Cuomo after another CNN appearance during the pandemic. “I’m pretty sure I stopped being your publicist 8 years ago, but apparently I still am.”
We have equated Andrew Cuomo’s appearances on CNN, most notably on his brother Chris’ Prime Time CNN show, (didn’t all of us ask why is Chris allowed to interview his brother at the time?), to the infamous Quiz Show scandal, where Charles Van Doren was given the questions before his appearances on 21.
Andrew Cuomo was given the questions before his appearances, by Gollust, his brother Chris, and according to Siegel, by Jeff Zucker. Game, set and match, Andrew. Good luck with those TV commercials.
Siegel reminds us that Zucker was President of NBC during Donald Trump’s heyday at The Apprentice, and when Matt Lauer sexually harassed dozens of NBC employees. Some of those woman believe that Zucker knew what Lauer was up to. “Matt’s behavior was despicable and ongoing, and that doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” said Addie Zinone. “A lot of what we’ve heard about Matt was in-house, meaning he had to feel protection from those above him.”
Today Show producer Andrea Smith added, “It was totally an old-boys’ club,” and“Everybody knew about the affairs and everything going on… Everybody talked about it. All of the highest-up executives at NBC knew.”
Zucker’s peverse jokes at a Lauer Roast in 2008 seems to indicate that he knew about Matt’s sexual predilections. “It’s just good to see Matt up here and not under my desk,” Zucker cracked. “I don’t want to say Matt’s a germaphobe, but he’s the only guy I know who uses Purell both before and after he masturbates.”
One on air personality who worked with Zucker and Lauer told Siegel, “I think Jeff probably would have hired Matt [at CNN] if there hadn’t been so much blowback.”
Today Producer Tom Touchet said the atmosphere was “like Mad Men,” especially the NBC stars that attended the 2004 Athens Olympics, which he said was “the weirdest melting pot of everybody sleeping together.”
Siegel attempts to link Zucker to President Trump before he was President Trump is also not only interesting but worthy of consideration.
“By putting Trump in [the] pseudo-factual setting [of a] reality show, Zucker helped to create the Trump phenomenon,” says Columbia University journalism professor Samuel Freedman. “And the whole country is now paying a terrible price.”
“For millions of Americans outside New York City — where Trump was largely viewed as nothing more than a carnival barker — the cartoon character that Zucker and Co. had drummed up to goose ratings was becoming real.”
Touchet told Siegel that he believes Zucker will land on his feet. Others, like this reporter, don’t think so. Every one who has been accused during the “me too” movement is still on the sidelines without a job.
But what Zucker did was as harmful to journalism and our country. “News outlets are supposed to expose the wrongdoings of politicians, not serve as their publicists. That’s especially true for the network that bills itself as ‘The Most Trusted Name in News,” said University of Missouri journalism professor Ryan Thomas.
We thank Tatiana Siegel for reminding us what good journalism looks like. Please read her column and give us your thoughts to info@YonkersTimes.com
