

Correction — Oct. 29: 2018: A previous version of this article stated that according to police charges filed in court, Mike Bullard was allegedly spotted at the home of Cynthia Mulligan on Oct. 12 and Oct 16, 2016, despite a court order to stay away. In fact, while the charges filed against Bullard at that time refer to his failing to comply with conditions to abstain from communicating with Mulligan or go within 100 metres of her home, the charges do not state that he was at her home and those allegations were not raised in any subsequent court proceedings. The criminal harassment charge against Bullard was dismissed at the preliminary inquiry on June 1, 2018; and on June 8, 2018, Bullard pleaded guilty to one count of making harassing phone calls. He also pleaded guilty to two breaches of a court order - one of which required him to have no contact, direct or indirect, with Mulligan. As was subsequently reported in the Star, Bullard was discharged from court with a clean criminal record and six months of probation.

Popular Toronto radio host Mike Bullard has been charged with criminal harassment in connection with the alleged stalking of a television reporter he had dated.

The five charges — criminal harassment, obstruction of justice and breaching conditions to stay away from the woman — were laid in three batches between September and November. The first set of charges led to Bullard losing his job at Bell Media. The former standup comedian and television talk show personality has been host of Beyond the Mic With Mike Bullard on Newstalk 1010 since 2010.

In an interview Monday, Bullard said the charges stem from “a bad breakup” and it is “a very personal thing between me and her.” Bullard is due in court Wednesday to receive additional disclosure from the Crown attorney assigned to the case.

“I phoned her twice after we broke up,” said Bullard, 59, during the interview. Told by the Star that the charges relate to allegations of hundreds of text messages and calls of a harassing nature and visiting her home in violation of a court order, Bullard said. “OK, maybe I called her three or four times.”

Arthur Stern, Bullard’s lawyer, said his client is facing a “very private, personal matter” and is dealing with “serious personal issues.” Stern said Bullard is receiving counselling . He asked the press to show his client “the type of sensitivity he needs to deal with his personal issues, which he is doing in the best interests of everyone.”

The target of the alleged harassment was City TV journalist Cynthia Mulligan. Mulligan, a Gemini-nominated local news reporter, is travelling on assignment overseas and could not be reached for comment. In 2010 she spoke prominently on television and in a widely read blog, “Kicking Cancer,” about her battle with breast cancer.

Bullard and Mulligan dated for about seven months beginning in 2015 and Mulligan broke off the relationship in June. Over the summer, Bullard allegedly texted and called Mulligan and refused to stop. According to the first charge laid against Bullard, Mulligan feared “for her personal safety” as a result of Bullard’s actions.

In late summer, Mulligan made a complaint to Toronto police. Detectives from 55 Division contacted Bullard and asked him to stop. When the behaviour allegedly continued, police laid the first set of charges on Sept. 21.

Shortly after that, Bell Media removed Bullard from his job on Newstalk 1010. A popular host, occasionally resorting to vulgar comments on social media, Bullard had a loyal fan following who have taken to Twitter wondering why he left so abruptly.

“Where is Mike Bullard?” one person tweeted. “Miss him. He is the best. Bring him back pls.”

Another tweeted, “Why will NewsTalk 1010 not say what happened to Mike Bullard?? As a fan, I should at least know why he is not (sic) longer on at noon!”

According to the police charges filed in court, Bullard’s pattern of harassment continued. Police again warned him to keep his distance from Mulligan and laid a second set of charges on Oct. 26.

Police laid a third charge against Bullard on Nov. 7, alleging obstruction of justice, stating that he contacted Mulligan in October “indirectly in an attempt to have the complaint withdrawn.”

A spokesperson for Newstalk 1010 and Bell Media would not say if Bullard was fired or resigned. “I can confirm Mike departed 1010 on Oct. 5,” said Scott Henderson. “Mike’s show had been part of the Newstalk 1010 lineup since 2010, when the station was owned by Astral Media. Bell Media acquired Astral and its media properties including Newstalk 1010 in July 2014.”

Prior to being on 1010, Bullard was the host of two television talk shows, Open Mike with Mike Bullard on CTV and The Mike Bullard Show on Global.

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In 1999, the Star’s Rita Zekas reported on his meteoric rise (TV Guide’s national poll ranked him as “Canada’s favourite talk show host”), noting that he had quit university to work at Bell Telephone, then joined the Peel Region police force, but quit because they wouldn’t allow him to moonlight in comedy clubs. He returned to Bell and worked his way up to associate director of corporate investigation before taking on comedy full-time.

In his interview with the Star on Monday, Bullard said the charges, and losing his job, have hit him hard and added: “I have nothing.”

“I’m going through hell right now. It’s something I didn’t do,” Bullard said.

Sources say there have been discussions about resolving the case with a peace bond, including conditions that Bullard stay away from Mulligan. If a peace bond were agreed to, there would be no trial and no finding of guilt.

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