New Yorker suspends Jeffrey Toobin for exposing himself on Zoom

The New Yorker suspends writer and CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin for exposing himself on a work Zoom call – as he says ‘I thought no one could see me’

  • Jeffrey Toobin, 60, has been suspended by the New Yorker after he exposed himself during a work Zoom call last week
  • He was on the video call with staffers from the New Yorker magazine and WNYC radio at the time
  • Toobin has since apologized to his family and co-workers, calling the incident an ’embarrassingly stupid mistake’ 
  • He said he believed he was off-camera and on mute at the time 
  • Toobin made an appearance on CNN on Saturday where he is a chief legal analyst for the network
  • CNN has since said that Toobin had asked for some personal time off 

The New Yorker magazine has suspended longtime writer and CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin for exposing himself during a work Zoom call. 

The 60-year-old, who has written for the New Yorker for 35 years, exposed himself while on the video call with staffers from the magazine and WNYC radio last week. 

Toobin apologized in a statement to Vice, saying he thought he had turned his camera off 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 co-workers,’ he said. 

‘I believed 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.’ 

The New Yorker magazine has suspended writer and CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin for exposing himself during a work Zoom call

The circumstances around the incident are not clear. 

It is also not clear how many staffers were on the video call at the time. 

A spokesperson for the New Yorker said Toobin had been suspended pending an investigation into the incident.    

Toobin, who regularly uses Twitter, has not tweeted since October 13. 

He made an appearance on CNN on Saturday where he is a chief legal analyst for the network. 

CNN has since said that Toobin had asked for some personal time off. 

‘Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue, which we have granted,’ a spokesperson for the network said on Monday. 

Toobin has been a staff writer at the New Yorker since 1993 and a CNN contributor since 2002. 

Toobin made an appearance on CNN on Saturday where he is a chief legal analyst for the network. CNN has since said that Toobin had asked for some personal time off, which they have granted

Toobin made an appearance on CNN on Saturday where he is a chief legal analyst for the network. CNN has since said that Toobin had asked for some personal time off, which they have granted

Prior to joining CNN, he had worked at the ABC as a legal expert from 1996. 

He famously covered the OJ Simpson trial for the New Yorker in the 1990s and later wrote a book about his coverage that became the basis of the The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story TV show in 2016.  

In regards to Simpson’s trial, Toobin was the first to report his defense team’s plan to accuse LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman of planting evidence and to play the race card.   

He has written nine books in total, including several about the Supreme Court. 

His latest book, True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump, was published in August. 

Prior to joining the New Yorker, Toobin had worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Brooklyn.

He is a Harvard University graduate.  

Toobin lives in New York with his wife Amy Bennett McIntosh. The couple have three children together.