Celebrities React to CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin Jacking It During a Zoom Meeting

One upside of the COVID pandemic is that it has really exposed (no pun intended) how technologically impaired some people are. Now that basically all business is done over Zoom, we’ve really heard countless stories of people embarrassing themselves in all sorts of ways by not realizing how it works.

One of these people was CNN contributor Jeffrey Toobin, who was suspended by The New Yorker and is on leave at CNN after he “accidentally exposed himself” during a meeting with the staff of The New Yorker and the staff of public radio station WNYC as a sort of rehearsal for covering election night.

That vague description was all we heard until Vice got to the bottom of what happened, reporting that Toobin had a quick wank between meetings without realizing his camera was on the whole time.

Both people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely, noted that it was unclear how much each person saw, but both said that they saw Toobin jerking off. The two sources described a juncture in the election simulation when there was a strategy session, and the Democrats and Republicans went into their respective break out rooms for about 10 minutes. At this point, they said, it seemed like Toobin was on a second video call. The sources said that when the groups returned from their break out rooms, Toobin lowered the camera. The people on the call said they could see Toobin touching his penis. Toobin then left the call. Moments later, he called back in, seemingly unaware of what his colleagues had been able to see, and the simulation continued.

Even if we just assume Toobin is being entirely truthful when he says that it was a mistake and he thought his camera was off, who pops off to, well, pop off on a ten-minute break during a meeting?

Suffice it to say there were plenty of reactions. Toobin was the author of The Run Of His Life: The People vs O.J. Simpson, the basis for the FX series covering the trial. O.J. didn’t let the opportunity pass him by.

Damn @JeffreyToobin pic.twitter.com/ZkS1gFsyyi

— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) October 20, 2020

That’s a real topical reference there, Juice. I’m just sayin’.

Rose McGowan also weighed in.

Now, I was going to say that Rose is overreacting and no one is defending Toobin but loads of people were defending Toobin, mostly his journalist colleagues who will defend any sort of entrenched power from any accusation in case you were wondering how Harvey Weinstein got away with it for so long.

The New York Daily News ran a story basically saying “everyone masturbates, what’s the big deal?” And yes, everyone does masturbate, but not on a work call you dipshits. I mean, I get it, you’re writers, you’re used to just pulling it out whenever you want and having a quick go. I understand, I did it like three times while I was writing this piece, but I wasn’t on a video chat at the time.

Now, do I think Toobin should be run out of town on rail? Not particularly, but I think that he should suffer the same consequences anyone else would have for masturbating at work, even accidentally. If you would get fired for pulling your piece out on Zoom and having a go at it, then why don’t you think Toobin should?