“Months after he was fired from The New Yorker for masturbating during a work Zoom call, Jeffrey Toobin returned Thursday afternoon to CNN’s to face tough questions over the scandal that derailed his journalistic career. Toobin took a leave of absence last November as a CNN legal analyst after the debacle, and his appearance on CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota’s midday broadcast marked the first time he’s addressed the scandal on-air” reports the Daily Beast.

“After recounting all of the lurid details that led to his dismissal from The New Yorker after 27 years, Camerota flatly asked her colleague: ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ ‘Well, obviously, I wasn’t thinking very well or very much, and it was something that was inexplicable to me,’ Toobin replied. ‘I think one point – I wouldn’t exactly say in my defense, because nothing is really in my defense. I didn’t think I was on the call. I didn’t think other people could see me.’ While Toobin reiterated that he thought he was off-camera when he exposed himself to co-workers, Camerota wondered aloud if Toobin ‘ever thought about what it must have been like’ to be on the receiving end of the call.”

“‘Well, I haven’t just thought about it. I’ve spoken to several of my former colleagues at The New Yorker about it, and they were shocked and appalled,’ he said. ‘I think they realized that this was not intended for them. I think they realized that this was something that I would immediately regret, as I certainly did, and it was then – it was that day that I began apologizing, and that is something that I have tried to continue to do both publicly and privately.’ Noting that Toobin has extensively covered the sex scandals of prominent politicians and celebrities, Camerota asked why he failed to exercise better judgment. ‘Because I’m a flawed human being who makes mistakes, and you know, there is no defense for my conduct,’ he replied. ‘The only issue is what should be the consequences, and The New Yorker made one decision about the consequences. CNN made a different decision, fortunately, for which I’m very grateful.'”