GQ Deletes Article Criticizing David Zaslav As “The Most Hated Man In Hollywood” Following Objections From Warner Bros. Discovery CEO

An incendiary GQ article calling Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav “the most hated man in Hollywood” was removed from the publication’s website on Monday (July 3) after the company raised a number of objections to the article’s contents that criticized the executive’s controversial decisions.

Written by freelance critic Jason Bailey, the article called Zaslav out regarding the recent layoffs at Turner Classic Movies and his decision to shelve Batgirl for tax purposes, according to The Washington Post.

The article, which underwent extensive edits after Warner Bros. Discovery reached out to the publication, claimed Zaslav was “only good at breaking things.”

Warner Bros. Discovery said Bailey did not reach out to the company for comment, which is standard practice.

A statement from the publication notes that Bailey asked to have his byline removed after the article was edited, resulting in it being pulled from the website entirely. “After a revision was published, the writer of the piece asked to have their byline removed, at which point GQ decided to unpublish the piece in question,” the statement read. “GQ regrets the editorial error that [led] to a story being published before it was ready.”

Variety reports that the person responsible for pulling the piece, GQ editor-in-chief Will Welch, is currently producing a movie for Warner Bros, while media reporter Alex Weprin notes in a tweet that the Newhouse family that controls Condé Nast (GQ’s parent company) owns more than 8% of WBD, making them the company’s single biggest shareholder.

Ironically, GQ’s decision to pull the incendiary article has only added fuel to the criticism Zaslav has faced as head of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Just last month, multiple veteran members of TCM’s leadership team were laid off. Some feared this meant the network and its library of classic movies were in jeopardy under Zaslav’s control.

But directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson issued a statement after having an emergency meeting with Zaslav. The trio noted they felt “heartened” by their conversations with the executive, and stated they “understand the pressures and realities of a corporation as large as WBD, of which TCM is one moving part.”

That’s not the only thing being cut from the company. A number of series and movies were slashed from the streaming platform, including Batgirl, which was deemed “unreleasable” and never even got to see the light of day. HBO Max also underwent a peculiar rebranding that seemingly shed the streaming platform of its recognition as a home for prestige programming.

The Washington Post also reports that the company’s stock price has decreased by about half since WarnerMedia and Discovery merged in 2022.

The future of HBO, Max, and Warner Bros. Discovery under Zaslav’s control remains to be seen.