Mayoral candidate Karen Stintz says she was “shocked and embarrassed” when she heard the lewd comments that Rob Ford allegedly made about her while drinking at an Etobicoke bar on Monday night.

In an audio tape released by The Toronto Sun on Tuesday, someone reported to be Ford is heard making sexually inappropriate comments about Stintz as well as homophobic comments in relation to Tim Hudak’s support for the presence of a rainbow flag outside city hall.

“I’d like to f------ jam her but she doesn’t want…,” Ford said of Stintz, as the audio is cut off by the sounds of several people laughing. Ford is then heard apologizing, saying he forgot there was a woman in his company.

“If Rob Ford was truly sorry he would have apologized last night and I am not interested in an empty apology. We have heard too many of those. Rob Ford needs to get help,” Stintz told reporters gathered at city hall Wednesday. “There is no place in this city for sexism or homophobia, especially in the mayor’s office.”

Ford announced that he is taking a leave of absence to deal with substance abuse issues less than an hour before the Sun released the tape on Tuesday night.

Discussing the saga at city hall, Stintz said she hopes Ford will get the help he needs.

“I know this will be a difficult time for his family and my thoughts are with them,” she said. “I hope people will respect the privacy of his wife and children as they cope with this and Rob gets help.”

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly said he reached out to Stintz to express his support for her in the wake of the mayor's comments.

Chow says Ford is a sick man

Many members of city council have called on Ford to step aside since the Toronto Star first reported that two of their reporters had viewed a tape of him smoking crack cocaine last May.

Now, it appears that Ford will finally take that advice, though Ford has suggested that he still intends to run for re-election in the fall.

"It is obvious that Mr. Ford is a sick man, it is obvious that he has serious substance abuse problems and I am sure that everyone in the city will join me in hoping that as a person he recovers," mayoral candidate Olivia Chow told reporters at her campaign headquarters on Thursday. "However, as a mayor it is too late. He had his chance. Last year everyone said that he needs to take responsibility and get help and he didn't do so. That's why in October the residents of this city will issue a verdict on Mr. Ford and we will have a new mayor."

Wynne reacts to Ford's decision to step aside

With Ford taking a leave of absence for an undetermined period of time, Kelly will now assume all of his roles and responsibilities, though many of them were already handed to him when council stripped Ford of most of his powers in the fall.

“This has been a distraction in the city for a long time,” Premier Kathleen Wynne said of Ford and the controversy that has swirled around him for nearly a year early Wednesday morning. “I’ve been dealing with Deputy Mayor (Norm) Kelly since he was given decision-making authority by the city. I think that was the right decision.”

Wynne said she will continue to deal with Kelly instead of Ford, who was stripped of key powers by city council last November.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath offered her reaction in a tweet: “Rob Fords comments are offensive and hurtful. I hope rehab will be his first step towards taking responsibility for his words and actions.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's spokesperson released a statement, calling the latest allegations concerning Ford's behaviour "very troubling."

"We are pleased to hear the Mayor has entered rehab to seek treatment for his addiction," the statement read.

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