Jeff Zucker is walking away from CNN with a cool $10 million — as long as he doesn’t sue.
The former news boss has settled with WarnerMedia after his abrupt exit in February over a consensual relationship with an underling, Deadline reported Tuesday night.
The one-time payout should be in Zucker’s pocket by late next week, but with one contingency: he can never sue the company, an option he’d reportedly been weighing. But after “waves of bad press over the weeks,” Zucker had written off a civil lawsuit as a possibility, according to Deadline.
A WarnerMedia spokesperson declined to comment when reached by the Daily News Wednesday.
Zucker announced his sudden departure from CNN on Feb. 2 after his relationship with Allison Gollust, the network’s executive vice president and chief marketing executive, was revealed as part of the investigation surrounding since-fired anchor Chris Cuomo.
“I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years,” he said in a statement. “I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began, but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.”
Gollust, a former top spokeswoman for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, initially announced plans to stay at the network but resigned two weeks later with a $1 million settlement, according to Deadline.
In Zucker’s stead, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” executive producer Chris Licht has been tapped to take over and vowed to “ensure that CNN remains the global leader in news.”
“My commitment is to foster an environment in which everyone can do their best work and feel supported,” Licht wrote in a memo to staff in late February.
“I look forward to getting to know all of you and hearing your candid thoughts and feedback. Our viewers demand the truth from us, and I want to learn the truth from you. Together, we will double-down on what’s working well and quickly eliminate what’s not.”
