Zucker Scandal: CNN Insiders Slam Alisyn Camerota as 'Fame-Thirsty' and 'Tacky' After Being Caught Hand-Holding With Ex-boss
CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota was slammed as “fame-thirsty” and “tacky” this weekend after she was caught holding hands with former network CEO Jeff Zucker, RadarOnline.com has learned.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Camerota and Zucker were caught holding hands on Saturday while leaving a party at Don Lemon’s Hamptons home.
But while sources close to Camerota and Zucker told Page Six that there was nothing romantic about the pair holding hands on Saturday, other CNN sources told Daily Mail that the stunt was “inappropriate” and “disrespectful.”
“Yes, they are best friends, but staff members – especially women at CNN – think that her attention-seeking actions were just tacky and quite disrespectful,” one network insider spilled.
“Alisyn should know better, especially after talking so much s--- about Fox over coworkers' inappropriate behavior there,” the source continued in an apparent reference to Camerota's criticism of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.
“Her holding hands for clout with Jeff was inappropriate,” the insider added. “She is well-respected at the network, but this was extremely fame-thirsty and she knew damn well what she was doing would get people talking.”
As RadarOnline.com reported, Zucker’s girlfriend – former CNN executive Allison Gollust – was also at Lemon’s brunch party in Sag Harbor on Saturday.
Gollust reportedly left Lemon’s home roughly five minutes before Zucker and Camerota, and the pair were said to be meeting the axed network exec for coffee.
But while one source close to Zucker and Camerota said the pair are “just old friends,” other insiders at CNN suggested Camerota held Zucker’s hand as a “slap in the face” to Gollust.
“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,” another source told Daily Mail this week.
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“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 insider continued.
“It was most likely done as a slap in the face for Allison. Why? Nobody knows. The entire thing is just so strange with them all being there with Don,” the source concluded. “It was a CNN dejected soirée with Alisyn.”
As RadarOnline.com reported, Camerota was apparently the only guest at Lemon’s brunch party who still works at CNN.
Both Zucker and Gollust resigned in disgrace in February 2022 after their years-long “open secret” affair was exposed to both the public and the network’s top brass.
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Lemon was then axed from the network in April 2023 after a slew of incidents and controversial behavior.
“Allison and Jeff have never been happier,” the source said on Sunday night after the stunt between Zucker and Camerota raised eyebrows. “He and Camerota were going to meet Allison for coffee.”