On Nov. 26, 2014 Ghomeshi was charged in four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcome resistance-choking. Three more charges were raised in January 2015. Following a high profile trial, he was acquitted of all charges in March 2016, with Ontario Court Justice William Horkins saying there were “inconsistencies” in the testimonies of the complainants. Another sexual assault charge, brought by a former CBC colleague in May 2016, was withdrawn after he signed a peace bond and apologized.
A Star investigation detailed allegations from 15 women.
Ghomeshi’s approximately 3,500 word article stops short of admitting to any kind of physical abuse and offers no apology.
Many of the letters, which took up five pages in the issue, criticized the magazine’s decision to publish the article and for letting Ghomeshi’s claims go unchallenged.
One reader, Joanne O. of Vancouver, alleges she was “personally victimized” by Ghomeshi in 2013. She claims it took her 12 minutes to read the essay, and asked to be “allocate(d) the same amount of time to what I’m about to write to you.”
Joanne says the article prompted her to recall her past challenges after the alleged incident with Ghomeshi, including paying thousands of dollars for counselling, missing numerous work days, and a lingering sense of fear and frustration.
“The choice to publish Ghomeshi’s piece was also a choice to remind all of the women he has victimized that his story is worth more than ours,” she said. “Today, you tore through that scar, exposing my insides again and reminding me of my place in the world.”
Another reader, Linda Redgrave, was one of the complainants in Ghomeshi’s trial. She said that she was on a drive to see her mother when she heard the news about the essay. According to Redgrave, she feared that memories of the “nightmare” would come back to haunt her.
“While Jian was riding the train to Paris, I was riding the train to Ottawa,” Redgrave noted, “where I met with Status of Women Canada, a government organization that promotes gender equality, to discuss sexual assault education programs for lawyers and judges.”
She also accused Ghomeshi of being vain. “His reference to being called a “#MeToo pioneer” sounds self-congratulatory,” Redgrave wrote, “as does ‘I was the guy everyone hated first.’ This isn’t a contest. There is shame in holding these titles.”
Allegra Sloman of Burnaby, B.C. said the magazine’s position as a “trendsetter” has been jeopardized. “Your credibility’s shot. Hope it was worth it,” Sloman wrote.
One reader, Lester Bergquist of Vancouver, simply sent an excerpt of Redgrave’s testimony as the first witness in the trial. Her identity was protected under a publication ban, but she later came forward publicly.
Two of the letters made public by the review, praised Ghomeshi for writing the essay. Shirley Anne Wade-Linton of Courtenay, B.C., said it was “honest” and “reflective.”
“I have been thinking about you and now I have a little glimpse into your journey,” Wade-Linton said. “You have every right in the world to write an article. No one has to read it for goodness sakes if they don’t wish to.”
Jacqueline Vischer of Winchester, Massachusetts, wrote that she believes Ghomeshi was treated harshly since the accusations were first revealed and says the CBC should “offer (him) another chance.” She also detailed how she, as a professional woman, has had her own “fair share” of discrimination and attempted assaults.
“I was delighted when the #MeToo movement took off,” Vischer said. “But there is another side: the overreaction of rejected women seeking revenge, or desire for the limelight, or the naiveté of the man and his lack of questioning the toxic masculinity of the culture that raised him.”
Ilya Bañares is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @ilyaoverseas