Jeffrey Toobin Exits CNN After 20 Years As Legal Analyst; 2020 Scandal Tainted Emmy Winner
After more than two decades on CNN and an exposing digital scandal in 2020, Jeffrey Toobin is leaving the cable news network.
The longtime chief legal analyst reveled his resignation Friday in a letter to colleagues and in a tweet:
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Friends, I’ve decided that, after 20 years, I’m leaving @cnn after my vacation. Was great to spend my last day on air with pals Wolf, Anderson and Don. Love all my former colleagues. Watch for my next book, about the Oklahoma City bombing, coming in 2023 from @simonandschuster
— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) August 12, 2022
The announcement comes just more than a year after a shamed Toobin returned to CNN following eight months off air due to the writer being seen masturbating during an online New Yorker staff meeting. The venerated magazine fired the contributor and Emmy winner in November 2020, while CNN, at the time run by Jeff Zucker, didn’t officially suspend or pink-slip Toobin at the time but agreed to his request for time off.
When Toobin slipped back on CNN in June 2021 he called his action “deeply moronic and indefensible,” and that “I didn’t think I was on the call. I didn’t think other people could see me.”
While the author of True Crimes and Misdemeanors, the Investigation of Donald Trump was contrite when he resumed TV appearances, it was clear that some on-air talent and executives were uncomfortable with his presence on the cable news channel. Athough Toobin supplied commentary just a few days ago on Anderson Cooper’s show, his time at CNN was already looking limited with the new regime of former Late Show producer Chris Licht, sources tell me.
“We are grateful for Jeffrey’s contributions to the network over the years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” the Warner Bros Discovery-owned CNN said after Toobin made his departure public.
Expectations had been that Toobin would not see his current CNN contract renewed. Today, he jumped instead of waiting to be pushed.
Having scored an Emmy in 2000 for his coverage of the public custody battle over Elián González, Toobin also saw two of his bestselling books adapted as a part of FX’s acclaimed American Crime Story franchise.
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