Mayor Rob Ford will not appear on Sunday radio show

Mayor Rob Ford will not be appearing on his weekly radio show on Sunday, News Talk 1010 confirmed to CityNews.

The announcement came after allegations of videotaped drug use surfaced on Thursday.

Ford has called the allegations “absolutely not true.”

Ford’s brother, Coun. Doug Ford, told the radio station Saturday, “I have never seen my brother involved with anything like coke.”

When reached by phone by CityNews, Doug Ford had no comment.

The Fords co-host the weekly two-hour program The City. CFRB program director Mike Bendixen said he expected it would be back on the air next weekend.

Journalists at the Toronto Star reported Thursday they have seen a video that appears to show Ford using drugs.

In its report, the Star said two of its reporters had watched the video on May 3 that it said showed an intoxicated Ford in a room, sitting in a chair, and lighting and smoking from what appeared to be a glass crack pipe.

U.S.-based gossip website Gawker.com said Thursday night that the video is being shopped around by a group of men allegedly involved in the drug trade. The Toronto Star said, however, it had no way to verify the video.

CityNews has not seen the video and has not been able to verify its authenticity.

Gawker has launched an online fundraising campaign to purchase the video through the website Indigogo. Gawker said if they raise $200,000, they will publish the video online.

As of 8:30 p.m. Friday they had raised over $34,000. By Saturday morning, that number had climbed to $44,956 – and by 12:30 p.m., they had reached over $51,000.

Another group had posted a similar plea. A Toronto-based group had raised $2,448 to buy the tape.

Would you donate to the Indiegogo campaign? We asked on Twitter and here’s what you had to say:

[View the story “Would you donate to Gawker’s Indiegogo campaign?” on Storify]

Clarification: Ford’s radio show has not been cancelled; however, the May 19 show has been cancelled.

With files from The Canadian Press

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today