CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi arrives on the red carpet at the 2014 Canadian Screen awards
CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi arrives on the red carpet at the 2014 Canadian Screen awards in Toronto, March 9, 2014. Reuters/Mark Blinch

Popular Canadian radio host Jian Ghomeshi was fired over sex allegations. The CBC made the announcement on Sunday, October 26.

According to a statement issued by the CBC, its relationship with Ghomeshi ended after "careful consideration" and "serious deliberation." The network appreciated that Ghomeshi had made an immense contribution to the CBC. CBC spokesman Chuck Thompson said that Ghomeshi had been terminated on Sunday.

Ghomeshi confirmed the news on his Facebook page. He claimed that the termination was a result 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."

Ghomeshi gave details of his relationship with the former girlfriend he was referring to. He wrote that the relationship had included "forms of BDSM." He also said that he had broken up with his former girlfriend at the beginning of 2014. The former girlfriend apparently started a "campaign of harassment, vengeance and demonisation" against Ghomeshi in early spring.

Ghomeshi claimed that the campaign had caused months of anxiety to him. He continued to say that he had always been keen on performing "a wide variety of activities in the bedroom." However, he said that he had done the activities only with those who had mutually agreed upon it. He said that the activities had always been "consensual."

Ghomeshi said that he had been open with the CBC about his personal life. He also said that he had not thought that his private life was anybody's business. However, he claimed that he had wanted his superiors to be aware of the situation.

Ghomeshi wrote that he "voluntarily" showed evidence that his bedroom activities with his former girlfriend had been consensual. He said that he had done so "in good faith" as he knew that he had nothing to conceal. His openness about his private life apparently had an influence on the CBC management, which decided to terminate its popular radio host.

According to Ghomeshi, CBC executives told him that such sexual behaviour was not suitable for a prominent CBC host. Ghomeshi complained that the CBC terminated him even though it had not received any formal complaint against him. The Star reports that Ghomeshi plans to launch a $50-million lawsuit against the network for a "breach of confidence and bad faith."

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au