Jian Ghomeshi - The popular CBC radio host, who was laid off on Sunday over sex abuse allegations, has filed a lawsuit against his former employers for unduly dismissing him.
Reports indicate that Jian Ghomeshi accused the government-owned media corporation of a breach of confidence, bad faith and defamation. The suit also seeks 55 million Canadian dollars ($49 million) compensation for the plaintiff.
Jian Ghomeshi was fired following allegations by three young women that he was "physically violent to them without their consent during sexual encounters or in the lead-up to sexual encounters," according to a report by The Toronto Star.
The women also alleged that the radio personality had "struck them with a closed fist or open hand; bit them; chocked them until they almost passed out; covered their nose and mouth so that they had difficulty breathing and that they were verbally abused during and after sex."
The corporation's spokesman Chuck Thompson disclosed in an interview that "information came to attention recently that in CBC's judgment preludes us from continuing our relationship with Jian Ghomeshi."
After CBC had Jian Ghomeshi fired, the host used his Facebook page to defend himself. The radio host claimed that he was a victim of "harassment, vengeance and demonization" as he was fired for having consensual sex.
According to the NY Times, the radio host said his termination from CBC was as a result of a relationship he had with an adult woman.
Jian Ghomeshi revealed that after he broke up with the woman in question, she was determined to defame him and allegedly hired freelance writers for this purpose.
Jian Ghomeshi, 47, who co-created one of CBC's most successful programs, says he and his former employer had a mutual interest in neutralizing the accusations against him, according to the National Post.
The $55 million lawsuit claims that CBC betrayed Jian Ghomeshi by using his personal information, which was disclosed in confidence. It also accuses the state-owned corporation of firing him out of fear of a backlash of the "negative public reaction" about his BDSM allegations.
Jian Ghomeshi's dismissal from CBC has been widely discussed on social media. Many pundits say this case has the potential to shape the public perspective about BDSM. The plaintiff has argued that the company is inevitably "making a moral judgment about the appropriateness of BSDM" by letting him go after the sex scandal.
