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New Yorker Writer Jeffrey Toobin Suspended After Exposing Himself in Zoom Meeting

The Zoom Dick Incident honestly sounds like a 90s ska band name.

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New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin has been suspended after he reportedly exposed himself and masturbated during a Zoom call with his co-workers yesterday. Toobin is also stepping away from his job at CNN, where he is a senior legal analyst. A CNN spokesperson said, “Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue, which we have granted.”

Staff writers at the New Yorker and WNYC radio were running a simulation for their election coverage. During a break, Toobin switched to a different call, but appeared not to realize his camera was still running. According to sources, Toobin left the call, then rejoined moments later as if nothing had happened.

In a statement to VICE, Toobin said, “I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera. I apologize to my wife, family, friends and co-workers,” adding “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.”

New Yorker writer Masha Gessen, who played Donald Trump in the simulation, said “I am quite sure that Toobin didn’t realize that the people on the New Yorker call could see him … I suspect he thought that when the breakout rooms started, he was disconnected and he didn’t realize we’d all returned to a live camera.”

Whether or not Toobin’s exposure was accidental or pre-meditated is beside the point. He should never have been exposing himself during a work call to begin with. But I guess Toobin couldn’t resist an erotically charged … election simulation? We’ve all been on Zoom work meetings since quarantine started, and I think we can all agree that they are the least arousing situations on the planet.

Not jerking it at work seems like the lowest possible bar, but dozens of fellow (white male) journalists jumped to defend Toobin.

The defense is so pervasive that “Occam’s Razor” is now trending on Twitter. Yet none of these men seem to realize the real issue: Toobin NEVER should have been masturbating during a work call to begin with. It’s the entitled behavior of someone who feels that their physical needs trump the comfort and safety of everyone else. It’s a deliberate action, not an accident, and anyone who pretends otherwise is exposing a fundamental lack of understanding of the concept of consent.

Another hashtag currently trending is #MeToobin, where folks are calling out the rapid-fire defenses for Toobin, who was previously accused of sexually propositioning co-workers. In addition, the married Toobin fathered a love child with a colleague’s daughter, Casey Greenfield, after a years-long affair. Toobin pressured Greenfield to get an abortion, and later refused to acknowledge the child until Greenfield took him to court.

Toobin’s case is likely not the first Zoom-based sexual misconduct, and is far from the last. Even without a workplace, men find a way to keep up workplace sexual harassment.

In addition to his work at the New Yorker and CNN, Toobin has authored several books, including “The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” which Ryan Murphy and FX adapted for television in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Toobin’s book about Monica Lewinsky, “A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President,” is currently being adapted into American Crime Story: Impeachment by Murphy and FX, with Lewinsky producing.

(via New York Times, featured image: D Dipasupil/Getty Images for SAG-AFTRA Foundation)

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Author
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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