[8] A Muslim, Ghomeshi was born into a secular household that was initially optimistic about the 1979 Iranian Revolution but also celebrated on Christmas and Easter, and has described being raised in a largely Jewish community.

[12] He has written that, during his teenage years, he ensured that his clothes smelled of cigarette smoke to give him "social credibility" even though he was a non-smoker, dressed "new wave"[13] and listened to music from David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Rush.

[14] Ghomeshi had an interest in music as a student and in Grade 9 started a short-lived band with a few of his school friends called Urban Transit.

[5] His older sister, Jila, became a professor of linguistics, and their parents had initial reservations about his less-traditional career path—the distinction between busking and begging being lost on his father—but Ghomeshi has said they ultimately supported his choices.

Progressives have since traced the roots of the “activist student coup” that subsequently took hold of York back to Ghomeshi's radical leadership.

[1][17] In 1995, after taking time off to play music, Ghomeshi graduated from York with a BA in political science and a double minor in history and women's studies.

[12][18][19][20] In 1983, Ghomeshi and friends Murray Foster, Tracy Jones, Reno Manfredi, and John Ruttle formed a band called Tall New Buildings.

[24] In 1989, the trio were joined by Dave Matheson to form the politically satirical folk-pop band Moxy Früvous and together recorded eight albums before going on indefinite hiatus in 2001.

Moxy Früvous was originally inspired by street-performing or busking bands, and Ghomeshi and bandmates started out by playing on streets in Toronto.

A 1996 video tape, revealed in 2014, suggested that Ghomeshi disdained his audiences, stating on camera that people paying to see the band's shows were "losers" and "fucking idiots".

She was allowed to attend FruCon, and Ghomeshi dropped the issue after her father confronted him for "carrying on this type of relationship with an underage girl".

As the host of Q, he interviewed a range of musicians, artists, actors, and other notable figures, a list that included Woody Allen, Paul McCartney, Salman Rushdie, Barbara Walters, William Shatner, Jay-Z, Jimmy Wales, and Leonard Cohen.

[34] He was set to host the November 2014 Scotiabank Giller Prize awards gala but was replaced in October by comedian Rick Mercer.

When asked about his musical tastes and influences as a child, Thornton answered with a rambling commentary about his favourite childhood magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland.

[10] In the spring of 2014, Ghomeshi advised his employers at the CBC that the Toronto Star was looking into allegations by an ex-girlfriend that he had engaged in non-consensual rough sex and that he denied this accusation.

[45] In early summer of 2014, reporter Jesse Brown contacted the CBC and warned that Ghomeshi's behaviour may have crossed into his work environment.

[44] According to Vice, Ghomeshi showed his bosses lewd text messages on a CBC-owned phone and graphic personal sex videos.

[46] Ghomeshi filed a $55 million lawsuit against the CBC, alleging that the corporation misused "personal and confidential information provided to it in confidence".

[51] He also filed "a union grievance alleging wrongful dismissal and defamation",[52] and stated through his lawyer that he "does not engage in non-consensual role play or sex and any suggestion of the contrary is defamatory".

[55] It is a memoir of Ghomeshi's life at the age of 14 (during 1982) growing up as a Persian-Canadian in Thornhill, his attempt to fit in as one of the few non-white kids in his neighbourhood, and his goal of mimicking his idol David Bowie.

Canadian poet, novelist and TV writer Zoe Whittall called it a "funny, nostalgic and compelling read, especially for music nerds of a certain age.

[59] The essay drew a "storm of criticism" from major figures in the literary world, an apology from the magazine, and the late-September firing of editor Ian Buruma.

[60] On October 25, the magazine's editors acknowledged that the essay generated "considerable criticism from readers" and admitted to "failures in the presentation and editing of his story".

On May 11, 2016, however, the Crown withdrew the last remaining charge over the alleged sexual assault against Kathryn Borel, a producer of Q, after Ghomeshi signed a peace bond.

[82] "A peace bond is an order from a court that typically involves keeping good behaviour and a prohibition on contacting the complainant," lawyers told the CBC.

Polley made the accusation in her autobiographical essay collection Run Towards the Danger, in which she wrote that she had wanted to come forward about her experiences in 2014 but was dissuaded by family and friends from speaking out.