Ex-Radio Star in Sex Assault Case Drops $55M Suit

Former radio host Jian Ghomeshi has dropped a $55 million lawsuit against his former bosses at the CBC, opting instead to pursue concerns over his firing via his union, the Globe and Mail reports. Ghomeshi will pay the CBC's legal costs of $18,000, the Toronto Star reports. The star host was fired amid accusations of sexual abuse; days before he was let go, his lawyers reportedly showed his bosses video and emails that display him causing "physical injury to a woman." Insiders have told the Star that Ghomeshi revealed the material to show "bruising could happen and it could still be consensual."

"Mr. Ghomeshi would not have shared information about his private life with the CBC had he appreciated the CBC would ultimately use the information provided to it to terminate his employment," his lawyers had said in the lawsuit, which claimed defamation. The CBC had urged the court to dismiss Ghomeshi's case, which it called "without merit and an abuse of the court's process," it reports. Ghomeshi had also filed a grievance with the Canadian Media Guild union, and he'll continue to pursue that claim, the CBC says. At least nine women have accused the ex-host of sexual abuse or harassment, and police have received three reports of sexual assault, which they're investigating. (More Jian Ghomeshi stories.)