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American Morning
Writer Discusses Wetlaufer Resignation Over Broken Marriage
Aired April 26, 2002 - 07:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The relationship between former GE boss Jack Welch and "Harvard Business Review" Editor, Susie Wetlaufer sent shockwaves through the business world. The first consequence, Welch's wife pulled the plug on their marriage. Now Wetlaufer's career is taking a hit. She resigned from the prestigious business journal, saying the flap over her love life has been too distracting.
You might remember that the couple met last fall when Wetlaufer interviewed Welch for a magazine profile. Now details of the affair and its fallout are spelled out in this week's "New York" magazine.
And joining us now is the writer of the article, Lisa DePaulo.
Good to see you again.
LISA DEPAULO, WRITER, "NEW YORK": Hi Paula, how are you.
ZAHN: I'm good, thanks. So, before we get into Suzie Wetlaufer's fall from grace, what is it about this woman? She is a man magnet.
DEPAULO: Yes, and in addition to that, she's also this really smart woman with two Harvard degrees and four kids. I mean, the four kids is just amazing. Who teaches Sunday School every week, and works out five times a week. It was very funny, as I was writing this. It was like, is this a homewrecker or role model. This woman...
ZAHN: There's not much this woman didn't do.
DEPAULO: Right...
ZAHN: But you spent a lot of time in this article talking about how what she did in her private life, very much, intruded upon what she was supposed to be doing, professionally. Walk us through some of what her staff thought, which is blatant violations of any sort of code of ethics you should operate under when you are working in an environment like the "Harvard Business Review".
DEPAULO: Basically, she went in the fall to interview Jack Welch. Came back to the office, and according to the staff was just gaga. He's the most wonderful man. He's all this -- I never met anyone with as much energy as I have. Then she goes back to the photoshoot, and comes back and is clearly -- has clearly crossed the line in their opinion.
ZAHN: And does she admit to these staff members...
DEPAULO: Well she told...
ZAHN: ... at that point, that she was having an affair with him?
DEPAULO: She was pretty -- she always loved to talk to the staff and share details of her life with them. And it is hard to tell what was truth and what was fiction. But, she loved to tell things.
ZAHN: So it was a show that went on.
DEPAULO: Yes, actually one of them calls it, Backstage at the Suzie Show. And it was a lot of fun. But she comes back from Welch and says, basically, he wants to make me the next Mrs. Jack Welch. And, you know, the staff -- the "Harvard Business Review" is like, wow, that must have been some interview.
ZAHN: But did it -- weren't any red flags raised at this point? Wait a minute. You're going to be this huge profile on this guy, and maybe this relationship might end up being...
DEPAULO: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) coming.
ZAHN: Oh, so the office went, the staff members actually verify this?
DEPAULO: Yes. And one of them says, when he confronts Suzie and says, you know, isn't this -- shouldn't we draw the line somewhere. You're accepting jewelry from Jack. And she said, did you get a diamond bracelet from him? And he says that Suzie's reply was, "It's not diamonds." (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
ZAHN: It's cubic zirconium.
DEPAULO: I doubt that. But it was so, it was this great kind of entertainment going on in the office. But, to answer your question. They did not go crazy, because they said this had happened before.
ZAHN: You also allege that she had had a relationship with a 22- year-old staff member.
DEPAULO: Yes, and that was something that Suzie admits through her publicist, and something that had a big -- had a lot to do with why Harvard, she and Harvard parted ways this week.
ZAHN: She really alienated the staff when, what, she tried to get a raise for this 22 year old guy who was living in the basement of her home, and was also doing work at the "Harvard Business Review"; but she denied that as well.
DEPAULO: But she acknowledges that there was a relationship, and Harvard management believed that there was not, that it was not a romance. And, but the whole staff knew about it.
ZAHN: What is amazing to me, when you read your article is the amount of access you had. You actually talked with Suzie's sister, who says a lot on the record. And she's very happy for her sister. She's happy she found Jack Welch.
DEPAULO: Her sister is terrific, she's happy for her. She feels like, what's the big deal, she fell in love. You know...
ZAHN: What's the big deal, this woman has four kids, and she was married at the time.
DEPAULO: No, she acknowledged (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
ZAHN: They were separated at this point...
DEPAULO: Jack was...
ZAHN: But what is the -- who's taking care of these kids?
DEPAULO: Actually, everyone, her sister and others say she is a fabulous mother. Now where she finds the time. But they say she is a great mother, and she has a great nanny. And her ex-husband is very much helpful with the kids.
ZAHN: And the status of the relationship now between Suzie Wetlaufer and Jack Welch?
DEPAULO: They're in love; they're madly in love.
ZAHN: Any talks of marriage?
DEPAULO: Yes they are. Friends say that they've already discussed it.
ZAHN: Meanwhile Jack Welch's ex-wife, or not ex-wife yet -- they are in the middle of this divorce proceeding. There is talk that she might get as much as, what, over 480...
DEPAULO: 450 million -- she gets half. And her prenupt conveniently expired shortly before Jack's affair with Suzie. And, you know, Jane Welch is one smart woman, because she, you know, hadn't said a word. The media has done it all for her.
ZAHN: So this actually, exploded about the same time, or shortly after she found out...
DEPAULO: Well the way Harvard found out, the way it became a scandal was Jane Welch calling Suzie and saying, do you think you're compromising your ethics here a little bit by...
ZAHN: Which, meant she was aware of the affair.
DEPAULO: Yes, and...
ZAHN: And you suggest in the article, that the reason she found out about it was she got the pickup of a telephone when he was on the phone with her?
DEPAULO: That's what Suzie told one of her staffers. There are all these great... ZAHN: And all these staffers talked to you (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
ZAHN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is extraordinary. Well look for Lisa DePaulo's new piece out in "New York" magazine. The level of detain is extraordinary. Good to see you again.
DEPAULO: You too, Paula.
ZAHN: Wonder if Jack Welch is going to be calling you anytime soon?
DEPAULO: I wish...
ZAHN: Talk about (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
DEPAULO: I want to know what it is about her.
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