The very public hand-holding indulged in on Saturday by CNN’s Alisyn Camerota as she and former CNN boss Jeff Zucker left a party hosted by former CNN host Don Lemon has set teeth on edge inside the network, according to a new report.
The two are “just old friends,” according to the New York Post’s Page Six, which cited a source as saying all is just great between Zucker and his current girlfriend, former CNN executive Allison Gollust.
“Allison and Jeff have never been happier,” the source told Page Six.
“He and Camerota were going to meet Allison for coffee,” the source said.
But according to the U.K. Daily Mail, which cited “network insiders,” words such as “inappropriate” and “disrespectful” were used given what’s been happening in recent months at the Chaotic News Network, where housecleaning has included the departure of Lemon and now-former CNN boss Chris Licht.
“Yes, they are best friends, but staff members — especially women at CNN — think that her attention-seeking actions were just tacky and quite disrespectful,” the source told the Daily Mail.
“Alisyn should know better, especially after talking so much s–t about Fox over co-workers’ inappropriate behavior there,” the source said, referring Camerota’s attacks on former Fox boss Roger Ailes.
“Her holding hands for clout with Jeff was inappropriate. She is well-respected at the network, but this was extremely fame-thirsty and knew damn well what she was doing would get people talking,” the source said.
“Alisyn also knows how the company she works for feels about Jeff and his behavior that led to his exit, but she had disregard for this,” the source said.
While he was the head of CNN, Zucker had a relationship with Gollust, who was CNN’s head of marketing, according to the New York Post. Both ultimately were separated from the network.
Camerota was the only current CNN employee seen at the event, which was a party Lemon threw to celebrate the publication of a book by “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, according to the Daily Mail.
The source said Camerota is not getting a divorce.
“She is happily married, as far as she says, and no one thinks that she would jeopardize her job or ruin her marriage for Jeff,” the source said.
“It was most likely done as a slap in the face for Allison [Gollust]. Why? Nobody knows. The entire thing is just so strange with them all being there with Don,” the source said.
The Daily Mail reported that the day after the party, Lemon and two friends visited Gollust.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.