Jeffrey Toobin has announced that he will be leaving CNN after two decades at the network where he survived a masturbation scandal two years ago that ended his time at the New Yorker.
Toobin made the announcement on Friday, not long after Deadline reported that the network was not expected to renew his contract.
“Friends, I’ve decided that, after 20 years, I’m leaving [CNN] after my vacation,” Toobin tweeted. “Was great to spend my last day on air with pals Wolf [Blitzer], Anderson [Cooper] and Don [Lemon]. Love all my former colleagues.”
The 62-year-old was last on the airwaves on August 3 and was promoting his upcoming book on the Oklahoma City bombing.
Toobin had a 27-year tenure with the New Yorker that was abruptly ended after an October 2020 Zoom call in which he exposed himself to co-workers and was seen pleasuring himself. A three-week investigation ended when Conde Nast, the parent company for the New Yorker, fired Toobin.
CNN however, didn’t fire the scandalized host, who returned to the network in July of 2021 after a months-long leave of absence.
Upon his return to CNN, Toobin addressed the controversy and called it “deeply moronic.”
“I didn’t think other people could see me,” the legal analyst told anchor Alisyn Camerota. “I have tried, and I am trying now, to say how sorry I am, sincerely, in all seriousness.”
“Above all, I am sorry to my wife and to my family but I am also sorry to the people on the Zoom call, I’m sorry to my former colleagues at the New Yorker, I’m sorry to my current, fortunately, still colleagues at CNN and I’m sorry to the people who read my work and who watched me on CNN and thought I was a better person than this.”
CNN faced pushback for its decision to keep Toobin in its employ after his touchy display.
The liberal commentator and analyst was also attacked over a column shortly after his reinstatement that argued against Attorney General Merrick Garland prosecuting former President Donald Trump.
The abrupt decision by Toobin to leave may have to do with former CNN boss Jeff Zucker who many credit with keeping Toobin on the station after his display. Zucker left the station earlier this year.
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