CBC Fires Jian Ghomeshi, And He's Suing

Ghomeshi

CBC RADIO ONE "Q" host JIAN GHOMESHI will file a lawsuit against the CBC over his firing on SUNDAY (10/26) over what he said is a campaign by a jilted lover and a freelance writer to smear him over what he asserts were consensual rough sexual practices.

GHOMESHI, who aired an essay about the PARLIAMENT HILL shootings on THURSDAY's show, announced on FRIDAY that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Canadian national broadcaster, and the CBC reacted by announcing that GHOMESHI would not be returning, saying, "The CBC is saddened to announce its relationship with JIAN GHOMESHI has come to an end. This decision was not made without serious deliberation and careful consideration. JIAN has made an immense contribution to the CBC and we wish him well."

But CBC spokesman CHUCK THOMPSON told CBC NEWS, "Information came to our attention recently that in CBC's judgment precludes us from continuing our relationship with JIAN."  And in the wake of that statement, GHOMESHI's attorneys at DENTONS CANADA LLP announced late SUNDAY that the firm will go to court MONDAY with a lawsuit seeking "general and punitive damages for among other things, breach of confidence and bad faith," plus reinstatement.

Facebook Post Explains Ghomeshi's Side Of The Story

And on FACEBOOK, GHOMESHI explained the background of the case, saying that the firing was over consensual sexual practices with a woman who he said is making false allegations with the help of a freelance writer who he said is "not a fan of mine."  "I’ve been fired from the CBC because of the risk of my private sex life being made public as a result of a campaign of false allegations pursued by a jilted ex-girlfriend and a freelance writer," GHOMESHI wrote, saying that his relationship with the woman involved "role-play, dominance and submission" but that "it became clear to me that our on-and-off dating was unlikely to grow into a larger relationship and I ended things in the beginning of this year. She was upset by this and sent me messages indicating her disappointment that I would not commit to more, and her anger that I was seeing others.  After this, in the early spring there began a campaign of harassment, vengeance and demonization against me that would lead to months of anxiety."

GHOMESHI said that someone was using FACEBOOK to claim that GHOMESHI had abused her, and that "someone had rifled through my phone on one occasion and taken down the names of any woman I had seemed to have been dating in recent years. This person had begun methodically contacting them to try to build a story against me. Increasingly, female friends and ex-girlfriends of mine told me about these attempts to smear me."  He added that the writer had attempted to sell the story but despite a "major Canadian media publication" doing due diligence, the story was never printed.

"I’ve lived with the threat that this stuff would be thrown out there to defame me," GHOMESHI wrote.  "And I would sue. But it would do the reputational damage to me it was intended to do (the ex has even tried to contact me to say that she now wishes to refute any of these categorically untrue allegations). But with me bringing it to light, in the coming days you will prospectively hear about how I engage in all kinds of unsavoury aggressive acts in the bedroom. And the implication may be made that this happens non-consensually. And that will be a lie. But it will be salacious gossip in a world driven by a hunger for 'scandal.' And there will be those who choose to believe it and to hate me or to laugh at me. And there will be an attempt to pile on. And there will be the claim that there are a few women involved (those who colluded with my ex) in an attempt to show a 'pattern of behaviour.' And it will be based in lies but damage will be done. But I am telling you this story in the hopes that the truth will, finally, conquer all."

GHOMESHI said that he told the CBC about the situation and the network confirmed that his acts had been consensual but fired him anyway, saying that "this type of sexual behavior was unbecoming of a prominent host on the CBC."

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