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The Cornell 7 case got national attention only after the woman at the centre of it filed a civil lawsuit, about two years after the alleged assault.

Kathryn Marshall is an employment and human rights lawyer at Marshall Law who represents survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. She joins divorce mediators Alex Howard and Amanda Silver to talk about why cases like Cornell and Hockey Canada often only become public through civil lawsuits.

Kathryn is suing the federal government on behalf of 21 survivors whose criminal cases were thrown out because of court delays under the R v Jordan ruling. She says one of her clients has had a no-contact order breached 36 times. She also says women have been told by police that a death threat was too vague to act on.

Kathryn wants sexual assault and intimate partner violence cases protected from being thrown out for delay, an end to peace bonds in these cases, and trauma experts in criminal courts. She also talks about Canada adding femicide to the Criminal Code.

The allegations in the Cornell lawsuit have not been proven in court, the accused deny wrongdoing, and no criminal charges had been laid as of October 15, 2026. In the Hockey Canada case, all five players were found not guilty in July 2025.

If you are dealing with abuse or feel unsafe: In Canada, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline). Ontario: Assaulted Women's Helpline 1-866-863-0511 (24/7). In the US: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or the podcast. We value diverse perspectives and aim to provide a platform for thoughtful discussion and exploration of different ideas.

Got any comments, suggestions or queries? We'd love to hear from you! DM us on Instagram @dirty.laundry.podcast to be featured on one of our upcoming episodes.

Also, don't forget to rate and review our show on your favourite podcast player.

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Is 50/50 custody really fair? Should you co-parent or parallel parent? In the Season 5 premiere, divorce mediators Alex Howard and Amanda Silver share the divorce myths they believed when they started, and why hundreds of cases changed their minds.

Why a 50/50 default can shortchange kids when one parent carried the load, why the conflict often changes instead of ending after divorce, why you don't need cheating or abuse to leave, and why Alex now starts from parallel parenting instead of co-parenting.

Alex and Amanda talk about:
- Why the person who leaves isn't always the one who ended the marriage
- The spouse who pushes you to make the call so they don't have to
- Why 50/50 isn't automatically fair, and quality time vs equal time
- Why you don't have to answer every message from your ex
- Leaving with no cheating and no abuse: "You can literally just be unhappy"
- Co-parenting vs parallel parenting: who decides braces and who decides bedtime

If you are dealing with abuse or feel unsafe: In Canada, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline). Ontario: Assaulted Women's Helpline 1-866-863-0511 (24/7). In the US: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Follow Dirty Laundry:
Instagram: dirty.laundry.podcast
YouTube: DirtyLaundryPodcast

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or the podcast. We value diverse perspectives and aim to provide a platform for thoughtful discussion and exploration of different ideas.

Got any comments, suggestions or queries? We'd love to hear from you! DM us on Instagram @dirty.laundry.podcast to be featured on one of our upcoming episodes.

Also, don't forget to rate and review our show on your favourite podcast player.

Send us Fan Mail

Mary Anne Popescu is the Executive Director of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation and a practicing family mediator of over two decades. In this encore episode, she introduces the concept that changed both her practice and her own marriage: the attack-defend loop, and how naming it in real time can stop a conversation from spiraling.

She and Alex and Amanda dig into insight mediation, why she prefers the phrase "families experiencing high conflict behavior" over the label "high conflict," and how future-focused questions can unlock genuinely creative solutions for even the most complex blended families. They also talk about the grief that underlies every separation, no matter who initiated it, and why control over how your story ends is often the biggest reason people choose mediation over litigation.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or the podcast. We value diverse perspectives and aim to provide a platform for thoughtful discussion and exploration of different ideas.

Got any comments, suggestions or queries? We'd love to hear from you! DM us on Instagram @dirty.laundry.podcast to be featured on one of our upcoming episodes.

Also, don't forget to rate and review our show on your favourite podcast player.