Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin Suspended By The New Yorker, CNN For ‘Personal’ Reasons

Author and commentator Jeffrey Toobin has been suspended by the New Yorker and is stepping away from his job as CNN’s senior legal analyst pending what the cable network calls a “personal matter.”

Vice reported that he exposed himself and masturbated during a Zoom work call with members of the New Yorker and WNYC radio staff.

Toobin apologized in a statement to Vice, saying he thought he had turned off his camera at the time of the incident.

“I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera. I apologize to my wife, family, friends and coworkers,” he said.

“I thought I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video. I apologize to my wife, family, friends and co-workers.”

Zoom’s call was reportedly a “mock election,” involving many of the magazine’s biggest stars, including Jane Mayer, Evan Osnos, Jelani Cobb and Sue Halpern.

Vice stated that Toobin was allegedly masturbating on the video call.

A CNN spokesperson said in a statement that “Jeff Toobin has requested time off while dealing with a personal matter, which we have granted.”

The circumstances surrounding the incident are not completely clear, however, two people who were on the call told Motherboard that they witnessed Toobin masturbating, Daily Mail reported.

The couple, who did not give their names, said the incident occurred after a break in the call.

Apparently, Toobin appeared to be on a separate call and, when the break ended, he could allegedly be seen touching his penis. Toobin then dropped the call before reconnecting shortly after, seemingly unaware of what others had just witnessed.

It’s also unclear how many staff members were on the video call at the time.

Toobin, 60, has been a New York writer for more than 20 years and joined CNN in 2002.

He is the author of several books, the most recent True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump, published in August.