Breaking Idol: A CBC Documentary

When Jacob Hoggard is accused of rape, blind devotion collides with truth.
Breaking Idol exposes the price of power, the peril of fandom, and the courage it takes to speak out.

The documentary centers on J.B., also known as “Emma” or “the Ottawa survivor”, who stood at the heart of one of Canada’s largest and most high-profile sexual assault trials.

Her case against musician Jacob Hoggard, frontman of the multi-platinum band Hedley, captivated the country and divided fans of all ages.

As J.B. navigates the aftermath of the trial and the relentless online harassment that followed, BREAKING IDOL confronts the darker side of fame, power, and public complicity.

Director Tiffany Hsiung
Executive Producer Jamie Brown
Supervising Producer Sally Karam
Produced by Frantic Films for CBC’s The Passionate Eye

Based in part on the Canadian True Crime series
The Trial of Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard