In that note, Ghomeshi refers to "a major Canadian media publication [that] did due diligence but never printed a story." Star Editor Michael Cooke explained his publication's decision in a brief article last night. "In view of Mr. Ghomeshi's extraordinary statement on Facebook on Sunday evening, and his high public profile in Canada, we now believe it is in the public interest to detail those allegations, which appear to have led directly to his sudden firing from the CBC."
The report outlines allegations from four women in total, three of whom claim "that Ghomeshi physically attacked them on dates without consent. They allege he struck them with a closed fist or open hand; bit them; choked 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."
When asked why they would not go public with their experiences, each woman told the paper that they feared an online backlash (as experienced by Carla Ciccone after her controversial XO Jane article) and "that a police report would expose their names and worries that their consent or acceptance of fantasy role-play discussions in text or other messages with Ghomeshi would be used against them as evidence of consent to actual violence."
The radio host has denied these allegations. Through his lawyer, Ghomeshi told the paper that he "does not engage in non-consensual role play or sex and any suggestion of the contrary is defamatory."
Photo by Ryan Bolton
by Derek Flack via blogTO
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