Impresario Gilbert Rozon’s Civil Trial Begins: Quebec’s Hunt for the Weinstein of the Province

December 9, 2024 TruthUSA

Today, the civil trial for sexual assault involving Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon commenced at the Montreal courthouse. His lawyer depicted him as a scapegoat in a quest to uncover Quebec’s equivalent of Harvey Weinstein.

Nine women who claim they were assaulted by Rozon are pursuing damages amounting to almost $14 million in a case scheduled to run until March 2025.

During her opening statement, one of Rozon’s attorneys, Mélanie Morin, stated that Rozon engaged in consensual relationships with three of the women but refutes any wrongdoing.

She mentioned that the accusations surfaced during the #MeToo movement in an effort to identify the “Weinstein of Quebec,” referencing the disgraced American film producer.

This trial before Quebec Superior Court Justice Chantal Tremblay represents the latest phase in a complex legal dispute that transitioned from a class-action lawsuit to individual suits following a 2020 Quebec Court of Appeal ruling.

Bruce Johnston, one of the legal representatives for the plaintiffs, informed Tremblay that they aim to demonstrate Rozon’s predatory behavior and questioned the credibility of all nine women’s claims.