GQ Magazine Removes Critical Article about Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Following Complaint
In a surprising move, GQ magazine took down an article criticizing powerful media executive David Zaslav from its website shortly after its publication on Monday. The decision came after a complaint from Zaslav’s camp, according to anonymous sources close to the matter.
The article, written by freelance film critic Jason Bailey, strongly condemned Zaslav’s management of Warner Bros. Discovery’s entertainment properties. Bailey specifically highlighted the layoffs at the Turner Classic Movies channel, which drew outrage from prominent directors and superfans, as well as Zaslav’s decision to withhold finished movies like “Batgirl” for tax purposes. In one instance, Bailey even compared Zaslav to the despotic character Logan Roy from the television series “Succession.”
Shortly after the article’s release, a spokesperson for Zaslav expressed dissatisfaction to GQ about its content. By Monday afternoon, the magazine had made significant edits to the piece. Archived versions revealed that notable changes were made to soften the tone, including deleting the line that referred to Zaslav as the “most hated man in Hollywood” and removing the “Succession” comparison. The article was also edited to exclude Bailey’s description of the reality shows overseen by Zaslav as “reality slop.”
The original conclusion of the article likened Zaslav to the ruthless businessman played by Richard Gere in “Pretty Woman,” stating that the executive was “only good at breaking things.” However, the edited version removed the reference and was more sympathetic to Zaslav, mentioning that complaints from film enthusiasts had become personal.
Bailey, unhappy with the edits made to his article, requested GQ to remove his byline. The magazine informed him that they wouldn’t keep the article on their website without an author’s name, leading to the complete removal of the piece from the site.
A GQ spokesperson stated that the article “was not properly edited before going live” and explained that it was taken down after the writer requested the removal of his byline. The spokesperson expressed regret for the editorial error that resulted in the premature publication of the story.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s spokesperson claimed that the company complained about the article because Bailey failed to reach out to them for comment before publishing. The spokesperson emphasized that it is standard practice for reputable news outlets to fact-check and contact the subjects of their stories. As a result, GQ decided to pull the article after receiving requests for numerous corrections.
Bailey acknowledged that he did not seek comment from Warner Bros. Discovery for the article but disputed the claim that it contained inaccuracies. He stated that his GQ editors did not inform him of any inaccuracies, and the edited version of the article did not include a correction.
Critics of the decision to edit and delete the article expressed their discontent on social media. Prominent film writers criticized the edited version of the story, with some calling it “completely unacceptable.” The controversy surrounding the article even inspired comparisons to Warner Bros. Discovery properties, such as HBO’s “The Wire.”
This incident adds to the series of controversies surrounding Zaslav, who has overseen significant cuts at Warner Bros. Discovery to address the company’s substantial debt of nearly $50 billion. Additionally, Zaslav faced difficulties in managing CNN, the cable network under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, resulting in the firing of his chosen CEO, Chris Licht.
It is worth noting that GQ has a corporate connection to Warner Bros. Discovery through its parent company, Condé Nast, which is owned by Advance Publications, a major shareholder in Warner Bros. Discovery.