Frankly, I’m stunned CNN brought him back. Regardless of Toobin’s intentions and past history, this feels like something so egregious that it simply can’t be dismissed. Others believe this incident - even if isolated and not on a CNN call - is bad enough to never let him on the air again. Toobin makes the case that he has had a spotless record except for this incident and that he has paid a price and should be forgiven for what happened. Many will believe CNN allowing him to return isn’t enough punishment. Toobin thinks The New Yorker firing was excessive punishment. I’m in therapy, trying to do some public service, working in a food bank which I certainly am going to continue to do.”ĬNN’s Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy reported Toobin will be back on CNN regularly as the network’s chief legal analyst. He added, “I have spent the seven subsequent months - miserable months in my life, I can certainly confess - trying to be a better person.

“But look,” Toobin said, “that’s why they don’t ask the criminal to be the judge in his own case.” He apologized to those who read and watch his work and said he has “got a lot to rebuild.” He said he is thankful for the opportunity to do that, but also said that he thought being fired by The New Yorker was “excessive punishment.” But he still called his actions “deeply moronic and indefensible.” Toobin told Camerota that he didn’t think anyone on the call could see him, nor did he intend to be seen. Toobin said, “Well, obviously, I wasn’t thinking very well or very much, and it was something that was inexplicable to me.”

He is back on the air.īut before Toobin resumed his normal role with the network, CNN did the right thing by addressing why Toobin has been off the air.ĬNN’s Alisyn Camerota asked Toobin on air, “To quote Jay Leno, ‘What the hell were you thinking?’” (Leno famously asked that of Hugh Grant after the actor was caught in a car with a sex worker in 1995.)

Meanwhile, CNN, which used Toobin as a chief legal analyst, suspended him. Toobin was immediately suspended and then ultimately fired from The New Yorker. Last October, while on a Zoom call with fellow staffers at The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin was seen masturbating on camera.

Jeffrey toobin zoom call original