The Jian Ghomeshi story has made me angry. I’m in good company. And now, with his recent hiring of Marie Henein, a criminal defense lawyer, there is even more reason to be pissed off.
I don’t need to recap CBC radio star Ghomeshi’s recent troubles, all stemming from allegations that his notion of foreplay is to choke a woman until she can’t breathe. It’s all here. And here. And here. Read, and be disgusted.
No criminal charges have been brought against Ghomeshi yet. But if you were him, and you wanted to scare the crap out of the women who are considering whether to go forward with cases against you, would you not hire a lawyer who has been likened to the scariest mind-wrecker ever brought to life in film? Henein’s former client Michael Bryant wrote this of his former defender: “She ‘seemed to channel Hannibal Lecter,’ Bryant wrote in his 2012 book, 28 Seconds. ‘So able was she to find a person’s deepest frailties and exploit them.’”
That’s just fantastic. Let’s make sure that every woman who has grounds to accuse Ghomeshi is damn clear that she would be psychologically ripped to shreds on the stand, and she would probably have nightmares and suffer from PTSD once Henein was done. Because getting demeaned, assaulted and intimidated by Ghomeshi the first time wasn’t bad enough.
Henein has a stellar track record. She gets glowing commendations from loads of people. She’s a kick-butt lawyer, and everyone deserves the best defense possible, yes. But there’s a reason Jian Ghomeshi hired her, “Hannibal Lecter,” NOW, before any charges have been filed: to scare Ghomeshi’s victims out of pursuing charges at all.
Men and women across Canada and the U.S. have responded preemptively, letting Ghomeshi’s (still mostly anonymous) accusers know that they have support. People like Margaret Atwood and Blue Rodeo’s Glenn Milchem have signed a rapidly expanding petition to express that support. It is clear that in the face of Ghomeshi’s continued use of intimidation, the women who are speaking out against him need to know that we will not let them be victimized again.
Have you been following the Jian Ghomeshi case? I’d love to hear your observations. And if you’d like to sign the petition, here is the link.
Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com says
Hi Laura! This is truly horrible situation. Thank you for sharing the link so that at least we all can feel like we are helping heal this atrocity in some small way. I will definitely be signing the petition. ~Kathy
Laura Zera says
Thank you, Kathy!
Emily says
I love how noticeably different everyone is reacting to this story. It makes me happy that these women can feel somewhat protected and supported. Jian is no fool, no matter how much we poke fun at his ‘sexual preferences’. He is calculated, intelligent, and demands to be respected. This information proves what lengths he’s willing to go to make that known to the public.
Laura Zera says
Definitely not a fool, Emily — he built quite a fiefdom at CBC. Although I did hear Jesse Brown (of Canadaland) say that if Jian hadn’t posted his rant on Facebook, the Toronto Star wouldn’t have published their investigative piece. They were sitting on it, up until Jian kind of outed himself.
Diane Hughes says
I have been following, and I am appalled at how these women were treated — and how he was able to keep up with charade for so long. I feel pretty suckered, too, by that handsome face, those twinkling eyes and THAT VOICE. I feel dirty now that I ever listened to Q. I hope he gets what he deserves. I’ll definitely sign the petition.
Laura Zera says
He was able to keep up the charade because there is a lot of machinery in place around him (or buffers, or a castle moat, or whatever you want to call it). That part of it is quite distressing. Aside from whatever happens to Jian — criminal case or not — it will be interesting to see if there are efforts at institutional change at the CBC (not that its the only place where this kind of thing happens. I’ve worked with bullies before, and they were well-protected bullies).
Jeri says
Admittedly, I must have my head buried under a rock, but am checking out your links as I write this. You’re all fired up in this post, and make some really pertinent points. Headed over to check out the petition too.
Laura Zera says
I don’t think your head is buried, Jeri. I’m not sure how widely reported this story has been in the U.S. Yes, I am fired up. I wonder just how often a woman feels its better to bury her story, or her case, because of the response she fears she’ll get. People who abuse their power, and people who cover up that abuse of power, suck. And we suck if we leave those who come forward out dangling on a tree branch.
Val says
Wow. Give these women some credit…nobody is going to have the fuck scared out of them because he is exercising his right to hire counsel proactively. If you had a file open on you and two Toronto police detectives assigned to case you would want to lawyer up with the best your money can buy. Jian is a lot of things, but he is protected under our Charter like everyone else.
Frankly, this petition is a distraction from a reasoned discussion of this situation. I’m disappointed to read this post, and you do a great disservice to the women who have come forward.
Laura Zera says
I don’t see the petition as a distraction, Val, nor do I feel I’m denying these women credit. If I were in their shoes right now, I would very much appreciate knowing that people across the country are standing with me. There is a huge power imbalance in this case, and yes, Ghomeshi has every right to hire a lawyer — all he did was hire a lawyer, one could say (and you did say). But it’s the classic “bring in the big guns” offensive, and it’s a total scare tactic. Also, the public is very good at exercising a double standard when it comes to women’s behavior. I want these women to know that they have public support. They are in the midst of a shitstorm, and I’d say that every bit of it is scary.
Jodi from Heal Now and Forever says
Laura, I can count on you for brining me up to speed. I’m glad I know so I can do something about it!. Thanks for using your platform to help others!
Laura Zera says
Thank you, Jodi!
Jagoda says
Hadn’t heard about this before your post, Laura. As a former sexual assault counselor, I can verify how frightening it is for women to come forward to formally charge their assailants. As you say, they are often victimized again in the courtroom (if it ever comes to a trial) or in the media by both being forced to relive the event in excruciating detail when questioned or interviewed and then blamed for “having asked for it” or otherwise derided as liars or other unsavory characters.
From the articles you link to, this guy seems like a real piece of work.
If only this were a singular event. It came to light only because it involves a celebrity. Sadly, sexual abuse and harassment is more common than most people are comfortable admitting.
Laura Zera says
It seems that because there’s a lot of “he said, she said” in assault cases, the liar defense comes out pretty quickly. A CBC employee who filed a union complaint about harassment that happened many years ago was recently contacted by a coworker who wanted to apologize for witnessing it and not doing anything. She said, “don’t apologize, just back my story.” That’s what she really needed.
One of the reasons this story got me so fired up is that it was reported at the same time as the story of the woman who walked through New York for 10 hours and was catcalled more than a hundred times. We’re so far, far away from the Ghomeshi case being a singular event. It really makes me angry.
Kern Windwraith says
This is such an ugly thing, isn’t it, and the farther the layers are peeled back, the uglier it gets. I can’t believe Gomeshi was arrogant enough to believe that his pre-emptive FB post was going to to solve the problem, and I have no trouble whatsoever believing that hiring a Hannibal Lecter lawyer is a tactic designed to achieve exactly what you suggest: intimidation. No wonder so many women have been reluctant to speak out sooner.
On an entirely different note–I love the new design of your site. Beautiful, clean, welcoming. Makes me want to move in!
Laura Zera says
It’s so very ugly, Kern. I hope everybody gets their day in court, because the women who have come forward already are no doubt also the voices for other women who haven’t been able to, for whatever reason. Thanks for your feedback on the site — exactly the response I was going for! Come, stay, bring a warm blanket and some popcorn!
Brianne says
The Ghomeshi case is bizarre, to say the least. But the man is certainly not a fool, and definitely knows how to intimidate! It’s scary situation that would only get a lot more interesting in the coming months.
Laura Zera says
That it will, Brianne. That it will.
Joseph Peay says
I wasn’t aware about this case till now but it looks like an interesting one to me. Signed the petition and would love to hear more update about this case.
Laura Zera says
Three new complainants have recently come forward; three new assault charges have been filed, bringing the total to eight charges now.
Lara says
Great post.
Laura Zera says
Thanks for reading, Lara!