Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin suspended by the New Yorker, CNN for 'personal' reasons

CNN legal analyst and New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin. Photo / AP file

Author-commentator Jeffrey Toobin has been suspended by the New Yorker and is stepping away from his job as CNN's senior legal analyst pending what the cable network is calling a "personal matter".

Vice reported he exposed himself and masturbated during a work Zoom call with New Yorker and WNYC radio staff members.

Toobin apologised in a statement to Vice, saying he thought he had turned his camera off at the time of the incident.

"I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera. I apologise to my wife, family, friends and co-workers," he said.

"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. I apologise to my wife, family, friends and co-workers."

The Zoom call was reportedly an "election simulation", involving many of the magazine's biggest stars including Jane Mayer, Evan Osnos, Jelani Cobb and Sue Halpern.

Vice stated that Toobin was allegedly masturbating on the video call.

A CNN spokesperson said in a statement that "Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue, which we have granted".

The circumstances surrounding the incident are not completely clear however two people who were on the call have told Motherboard they witnessed Toobin masturbating, Daily Mail reported.

The pair, who did not give their names, said that the incident happened after a break in the call.

Toobin apparently seemed to be on a separate call and when the break was over could allegedly be seen touching his penis. Toobin then left the call before logging back in shortly afterwards seemingly unaware at what others had just witnessed.

It is also not clear how many staffers were on the video call at the time.

The 60-year-old Toobin has been a New Yorker writer for more than 20 years and joined CNN in 2002.

He is the author of several books, most recently True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump, published in August.