Social media in Canada are atwitter with a messy and salacious public spat between the public broadcaster, CBC, and a popular host, Jian Gomeshi.
On Sunday, CBC announced it had severed its relationship with Gomeshi saying it had recently received information that “precludes” it from continuing to employ the host of the popular radio program Q.
Host decries ‘false allegations’
Gomeshi responded by instructing his lawyers to sue CBC for $55 million, asking his union to file a grievance, and writing a very long Facebook post in his defence.
The post says he was terminated because of the risk of his “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.” He wrote about a relationship that included bondage, dominance, and sado-masochism, but argued that it was consensual and his private business.
Termination a product of ‘serious deliberation’
CBC would not discuss the reasons for dismissing Gomeshi adding that “this decision was not made without serious deliberation and careful consideration.” Certainly the broadcaster would carefully consider disrupting a very successful program which has brought in a younger audience it has had difficulty attracting.
Gomeshi will no longer host gala
Gomeshi was also supposed to host the prestigious Giller Prize book awards gala on November 10, but the organization behind it tweeted he would no longer be fulfilling that role.
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