CNN Didn't Have Toobin on to Analyze Cuomo Allegations
The Claim
CNN had legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on to discuss the sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo.
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Emerging story
The claim went viral in response to an August 3, 2021 CNN four-person panel discussion of the Cuomo sexual harassment allegations.
Misbar’s Analysis
We concluded that the claim that Jeffrey Toobin was on CNN to discuss the allegations of sexual harassment against New York governor Andrew Cuomo was a case of mistaken identity. The four-person panel met on CNN to discuss the August 3 report that detailed the allegations that eventually led to Cuomo’s resignation. Some viewers of the segment thought that David Chalian, CNN’s political director and one of the men taking part in the discussion, was Toobin due to a similar appearance.
Toobin made headlines in October 2020 when he masturbated during a Zoom call with some colleagues from the New Yorker and WNYC radio. Due to the incident, Toobin was fired from the New Yorker and suspended for eight months from his role as CNN’s chief legal analyst.
Because of Toobin’s own sexual misconduct, it makes sense that people would be surprised if CNN included him to discuss sexual harassment claims. However, the man at the bottom left of the panel was the slightly similar-looking Chalian and not Toobin.
