Jian Ghomeshi plans to sue CBC for $50 million after being fired

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      The host and cocreator of CBC's national cultural-affairs radio show Q is out of a job. But he's not going down without a fight.

      Jian Ghomeshi will sue for $50 million in damages and file a grievance to be reinstated, according to a statement issued by the law firm Dentons Canada LLP.

      Last week, Ghomeshi announced that he was taking a leave of absence "for personal reasons" from Q.

      That was followed by a statement today from the Crown-owned broadcaster that its relationship with Ghomeshi had "come to an end". This was as a result of information that had come to its attention recently.

      CBC did not make any more details available in its statement. "Whenever a decision is made to end a relationship with an employee, terms of separation are never disclosed," the broadcaster said.

      Meanwhile, Giller Prize organizers have stated that Ghomeshi will not host the gala event when the literary award is presented on November 10.

      Q was launched in 2007 and is broadcast on more than 180 NPR/PRI stations in the United States, according to Ghomeshi's online biography.

      The show's most famous moment probably came when actor-musician Billy Bob Thornton refused to answer Ghomeshi's questions after the radio host mentioned Thornton's film career in the introduction.

      Ghomeshi also conducted feature interviews with entertainment stars, such as Tom Petty and Joni Mitchell, on the CBC national newscast hosted by Peter Mansbridge.

      In addition to his broadcasting career, Ghomeshi is a musician, cofounding the Canadian band Moxy Früvous in 1989. He also wrote the autobiographical 1982 about his experiences as a 14-year-old growing up in Ontario.

      See also: "Jian Ghomeshi blames CBC firing on risk of publicity about his sex life, which includes BDSM"

      Comments

      14 Comments

      Be Strong

      Oct 26, 2014 at 4:43pm

      Your show was a delight to listen to.

      Smith

      Oct 26, 2014 at 6:06pm

      Come on CBC. Grow up.

      Miss A

      Oct 26, 2014 at 7:06pm

      Meanwhile the CBC continues to air documentaries on the fucking monarchy (well it at least seems like it).

      Stew

      Oct 26, 2014 at 7:48pm

      I doubt the lawsuit will go anywhere...CBC with massive amounts of legal people would not have fired him knowing a lawsuit was coming...or would they?

      Q fan

      Oct 26, 2014 at 8:39pm

      Jian is (was) the best, most devoted, intelligent, engaging, enlightening, honest, multi-dimensional radio show host that CBC has ever had. I'm disgusted that he was fired for such a stupid reason. So what if his sex life is more exciting than yours, you lame-ass, tight-ass CBC execs. Come on CBC, what century do you live in? What country do you represent? An undemocratic, authoritarian, repressed, old-fashioned regime.

      CBC made a fatal mistake!!!

      Oct 26, 2014 at 10:02pm

      Go, Jian, Go!!

      Debbie Ciric

      Oct 27, 2014 at 6:04am

      I am incredibly angry with the CBC for such an archaic and paternalistic decision. Our employers have no business in our bedrooms and one would think that a person of Mr. Ghomeshi's talent would be supported by the CBC.If they truly valued his contributions to the network, as they keep saying, a very different outcome would have resulted. This is a very sad day for personal freedom and decisions made between consenting adults.

      OccupyMedic

      Oct 27, 2014 at 10:14am

      1. Canadian employment law doesn't allow people to be fired for private, consensual sexual escapades.
      2. CBC has competent legal counsel.
      3. CBC was acting against it's own ratings interest in firing Ghomeshi.
      Conclusion: CBC had greater potential legal exposure in not firing Ghomeshi.
      Ghomeshi has already told us where that exposure comes from: a rape allegation. In the process of pre-denying that allegation he:
      a) Paints the woman as a jealous/crazy/vindictive ex, a saddeningly tried-and-true tactic to undermine the credibility of rape victims.
      b) Paints the CBC as knowing that he's innocent and firing their biggest star anyways because of his private sex life.
      Conclusion: presuming the CBC is not mind-meltingly stupid, there are one or more highly-credible rape allegations

      Lmao good luck!!

      Oct 27, 2014 at 1:41pm

      They are cutting back for a reason and now this moron wants $50 mill because he's "out of a job" Wow, just wow. Ya lets bankrupt our Canadian channel because this guy got fired. Unbelievable...