Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon’s civil trial for sexual assault opened Monday at the Montreal courthouse with his lawyer portraying him as the scapegoat in a hunt to find Quebec’s Harvey Weinstein.
Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon and one of his lawyers, Mélanie Morin, are seen leaving the Montreal courthouse during a break in proceedings on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sidhartha Banerjee
One of Rozon’s lawyers, Mélanie Morin, told the court in her opening that Rozon had consensual relations with three of the women but he denies any wrongdoing. As he arrived at the courthouse, Rozon told reporters he had confidence in the justice system. The trial before Quebec Superior Court Justice Chantal Tremblay is the latest stage in a winding legal battle that began as a class-action lawsuit but was converted into individual suits after a 2020 Quebec Court of Appeal ruling.
He asked the court to consider whether it was reasonable that all nine women made up their claims. When lawyers questioned Rozon during pretrial proceedings about the women’s motivation, Johnston said he responded that they were jealous of him, they wanted money and they were seeking publicity. Charlebois, who is seeking $1.7 million in compensatory and punitive damages, described an incident in 1982 where she had gone to dinner with her then boyfriend and Rozon. She and Rozon were later heading out for a drink to discuss a work opportunity, she said, when Rozon said he needed to stop at his house to change his shirt.
The others named in the lawsuits are Annick Charette, Patricia Tulasne, Anne-Marie Charette, Sophie Moreau, Danie Frenette, Guylaine Courcelles, Marylena Sicari and Martine Roy.
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