CBC Fires Jian Ghomeshi Over Sex Allegations

[Riddick]

CBC star Jian Ghomeshi has been fired over “information” the public broadcaster recently received that it says “precludes” it from continuing to employ the 47-year-old host of the popular Q radio show.

Shortly after CBC announced Ghomeshi was out the door on Sunday, Ghomeshi released news that he was launching a $50-million lawsuit claiming “breach of confidence and bad faith” by his employer of almost 14 years. He later followed that up with a Facebook posting saying he has been the target of “harassment, vengeance and demonization.”

FULL STORY

[Riddick]

"Big Ears Teddy shouldn't see this" -
In a story overflowing with disturbing alligations, a total of nine women - including a popular Canadian television actress - have now come forward to claim CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi slapped, choked and verbally assaulted them on dates and at work in the past 12 years. LINK

Jian Ghomeshi: Genius or offensive figure?
Whether a supremely gifted yet loathsome man who likes hurting unwilling women or an overrated prima donna victimized by an appalling smear campaign, there is no reason to think his talent and behavior are correlated. Still, acting as if they are, many people judge accordingly. LINK

Ghomeshi-gate proves opinion minus fact all too common
While the case presents plentiful opportunities to debate important issues, most of what we’ve seen is a torrent of pre-emptive weighing in, preferably on social media where the urge to announce your stand on each controversy-of-the-month is accelerated often to no one’s benefit. LINK

Why it’s harder to believe the worst of a host
Unlike a movie actor, a host plays the part of an average guy surrounded by people more famous than he is, and when a host has a sex scandal — as Bob Barker, David Letterman, Jimmy Savile and many others have had before Ghomeshi — it feels almost like a pal is in trouble. LINK

[Fan]

Yeah it is all we hear about, it is GD annoying. Seriously, it is inescapable, all of facebook is filled with it. Very much sick of it

[Raggedyann]

These kinds of stories may appear to be salacious gossip but sometimes they have a place in public discourse.

Through this sad tale, we are now asking the question as to why a large number of women in our society are not reporting sexual assaults to law enforcement and we are learning the reasons why they don't. Whether this particular story will improve conditions in the legal realm remains to be seen.

These guys are adept at selecting and exploiting women they know would not be emotionally strong enough to report them. Women know that the legal playing field isn't level. Their burden of proof is far higher than his, especially since Ghomeshi is powerful, famous and affluent. One would have to have nerves of steel to withstand cross examination by his highly paid lawyer(s). It's easier to try and forget rather than risk being victimized all over again.

Now that the nine women have explained why they didn't report the assault, perhaps in the future when a defense lawyer asks a woman if she was "drunk", wearing a "short skirt", "flirted" with her attacker, or had ever had sex with anyone before in her life, and the questions echo back at them (and the rest of the court) as nonsensical cliches, then this revealing story will have served a purpose.

[Riddick]

HuffPo's put out an "Ask A Canadian" article as a primer and summation of "The Story So Far" for Yanks -

I've been listening to Q via U.S. syndication on local public radio for about a year. IMHO, Jian was a great host; that said, I'll follow Q without him. And so much this story will have a wrap of sorts, I'm curious where he'll end up as he may yet face prosecution, though mass persecution is no fun either.

However it all turns out, safe to say his life will never be all it was: the good news may be he remains a notable public figure, with bad news being he's in the same class as Woody Allen and Roman Polanski.

[Raggedyann]

Originally posted by Riddick
the good news may be he remains a notable public figure,

Purely from a feminine perspective, I would hope we never hear his creepy voice again. And knowing Canada as I do, I can pretty much guarantee he's done like dinner in this country.

[Riddick]

Purely from a feminine perspective, I would hope we never hear his creepy voice again. And knowing Canada as I do, I can pretty much guarantee he's done like dinner in this country.

Well, that's where Jian's 'Good news/Bad news' comes in - Retaining notoriety sans popularity won't serve him well in the industry, besides which he can forget all those lucrative public speaking gigs -

Still, it made him a star the first time around, if his voice gives people the creeps now maybe by exercising his right to remain silent he'll chart a new claim to fame as Canada's first radio mime?

[Raggedyann]

Apparently he has fled to LA. Perhaps he's planning a move to a country that has no extradition treaty with Canada. He better make his move fast as the RCMP are planning to have a chat with him and they could compromise his passport and yank him back here.

So disappointing as I enjoyed Q.

[Riddick]

Apparently he has fled to LA. Perhaps he's planning a move to a country that has no extradition treaty with Canada. He better make his move fast as the RCMP are planning to have a chat with him and they could compromise his passport and yank him back here.

So disappointing as I enjoyed Q.

Maybe Jian's in LA to discuss strategy with a similarly down on his luck, though NOT as of yet totally disgraced, celebrity...!

Is The World Starting To Turn Against Bill Cosby?

“Google ‘Bill Cosby rape.’ It’s not funny. That s— has more results than ‘Hannibal Buress.’”

Sexual assault allegations were all over the Internet when Queen Latifah’s show decided to book Cosby. Quite possibly, it took a comedian's words to make Cosby so unpalatable the best decision for both parties was to cancel.

(Edited/abridged/excerpted): In recent years, The Cos has executed something of a career revival: He did a special for Comedy Central, “Bill Cosby: Far From Finished.” He is developing a new show for NBC slated for summer or fall of next year. Yet now, it seems the man once known as “America’s Dad” is too radioactive for daytime television.

Cosby was scheduled to appear as a guest on “The Queen Latifah Show” to promote his new comedy tour, is no longer going to be on the show. The change came just days after the Daily Mail published Barbara Bowman’s account of the alleged sexual abuse she said she suffered at Cosby’s hands.

Actor and comedian Hannibal Buress is on tour performing a new stand-up act. In it, he calls Cosby a rapist while voicing disagreement with his more recent role as public scold to black people. During his act, Buress expressed incredulity at what he calls Cosby’s “Teflon public image.”

What was strange was the mushroom cloud of controversy Buress set off not about new allegations, but about the 13 women who signed on as witnesses in Andrea Constand’s 2004 lawsuit. Willingness to openly criticise Cosby may finally have tipped the scales against him. Only after a famous man, Buress, called him out has the possibility of Cosby becoming a television pariah become real.

Cosby is hardly an outlier when it comes to popular figures given the benefit of the doubt when accused of abusing women. When fired CBC host Jian Ghomeshi who is accused of sexually assaulting and battering women posted on Facebook last Sunday night he was being targeted by a “jilted ex-girlfriend,” fans and even those unfamiliar with Ghomeshi immediately rallied around him. The post drew more than 100,000 likes.

Then Owen Pallett, a friend of Ghomeshi’s, Pallett published his post, only four women had come forward. Since then, four more have spoken to various Canadian news organizations. Many Ghomeshi supporters dismissed them as liars, as has Ghomeshi.

On one hand, having male allies such as Buress and Pallett, who are unafraid to speak up, has been instrumental in amplifying women’s voices when they make accusations against men more powerful and famous than themselves. On the other, there’s a question why this is necessary at all — and why there’s such a reflexive reaction to dismiss them.

FULL STORY

[Riddick]

Jian Ghomeshi Acquitted Of All Charges In Sexual Assault Trial
Decision Triggers Outrage Online, Outside Court
Topless Protester Storms Podium, Former CBC Broadcaster's Sister Asks For Privacy

[Raggedyann]

The women were all over the place in this trial. I can understand why a woman would be reluctant to report abuse to police when the perp is a powerful famous man but I don't understand why they continued to willingly be in the company of Ghomeshi after he had assaulted them. Unfortunately, they lied about this in court, so I don't see how the Judge could have made any other decision. It would appear that the women's need to associate with a famous dude was more important to them than any fear they may have had of him, or their own self respect.

[Riddick]

Crown Drops Sex Assault Charge Against Ghomeshi In Exchange For Signing Peace Bond
May 11, 2016

Disgraced former CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi will not stand trial on a count of sexual assault next month.

During an appearance in Toronto court Wednesday morning, the Crown announced Ghomeshi and a former CBC colleague who filed a sexual assault charge against him have agreed to a resolution that includes the signing of a peace bond.

The Crown will then drop the criminal charge he faces.

The 48-year-old was expected to stand trial next month on a single charge of sexual assault related to an incident alleged to have occurred at the CBC in 2008. The complainant was a former CBC employee, whose identity was protected by a publication ban.

Crown prosecutor Michael Callaghan said Wednesday the publication ban has been lifted at the request of the complainant and she’s since been identified as Kathryn Borel.

Had this case proceeded as scheduled next month, it would have been Ghomeshi’s second criminal trial of 2016. He was acquitted on sexual assault and choking charges related to three other complainants in March.

He pleaded not guilty and insisted he did nothing wrong.

-LINK-