Just for Laughs founder goes to police after altercation at sex assault civil trial
MONTRÉAL – The founder of the Just for Laughs comedy festival says he has filed a police complaint following an altercation at his civil trial.
Ex-comedy mogul Gilbert Rozon is being sued for nearly $14 million by nine women alleging sexual assault.
Actress Danie Frenette, one of the plaintiffs, hurled insults at Rozon during a break in the trial on Thursday.
Rozon told reporters he filed a complaint with police against Frenette's husband over a physical altercation that allegedly occurred outside the courtroom.
The civil lawsuit is the latest in a winding legal battle that began as a class action but was converted into individual suits after a 2020 Quebec Court of Appeal ruling.
Also in 2020, a Quebec court judge found Rozon not guilty of rape and indecent assault connected to events alleged to have taken place in 1980 involving Annick Charette.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
Accused holocaust memorial vandal was City of Ottawa employee on leave
The City of Ottawa has cut ties with an employee who is accused of vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument with paint, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe confirmed Sunday. Ottawa police announced Saturday that a 46-year-old man had been charged with several offences, including mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct. The words FEED ME were splashed in red paint across the monument on June 9. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy On Saturday evening, Sutcliffe took to social media to say he was 'very disturbed' to learn the accused was a city employee on leave, adding he'd asked city officials to take 'appropriate action.' On Sunday, Sutcliffe provided an update saying the man was 'no longer employed by the City of Ottawa.' The vandalism has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, including from Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said he was 'appalled' someone would target a space for mourning and remembrance. Story continues below advertisement The monument, formally titled Landscape of Loss, Memory and Survival, was inaugurated in 2017 to honour the more than 6 million Jews and others murdered in the Holocaust. The Ottawa Police Service said the investigation by its hate and bias crime unit is ongoing. – with files from The Canadian Press
Vancouver Sun
9 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Liberals revamping online harms bill with focus on deepfakes, exploitation and AI: justice minister
Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal government plans to take a 'fresh' look at its online harms legislation over the summer, but it's not clear yet exactly what the bill will look like when it is reintroduced. It would be the Liberals' third attempt to pass legislation to address harmful behaviour online. Fraser told The Canadian Press in an interview that the government hasn't decided whether to rewrite or simply reintroduce the Online Harms Act, which was introduced in 2024 but did not pass. He said Canadians can expect measures addressing deepfakes and child exploitation 'to be included in legislative reforms coming up in the near future.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In their election platform, the Liberals promised to make the distribution of non-consensual sexual deepfakes a criminal offence. They also pledged to introduce a bill to protect children from online sexploitation and extortion, and to give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to pursue those crimes. Fraser said the growth of artificial intelligence is influencing the discussions. The spread of generative AI has changed both the online space and everyday life since the federal government first introduced the legislation. 'We will have that in mind as we revisit the specifics of online harms legislation,' he added. 'The world changes and governments would be remiss if they didn't recognize that policy needs to shift.' Online harms legislation was first proposed by then-heritage minister Steven Guilbeault in 2021, but after widespread criticism, the government pivoted and shifted the file to the justice minister. Guilbeault is now back in his old ministry, which has been renamed Canadian identity and culture. Prime Minister Mark Carney has also created an artificial intelligence ministry, headed up by rookie MP Evan Solomon. Fraser said he expects 'significant engagement' with Guilbeault and Solomon, but it will be determined later which minister will take the lead on the file. The first version of the bill alarmed critics who warned that the provision requiring platforms to take down offending content within 24 hours would undermine free expression. When Fraser's predecessor, Arif Virani, introduced the Online Harms Act in 2024, the bill restricted that 24-hour takedown provision to content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, or intimate content shared without consent, including deepfakes. It also required social media companies to explain how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, and imposed on them a duty to protect children. But the government also included Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act amendments targeting hate in the same legislation — which some said risked chilling free speech. In late 2024, Virani said he would split those controversial provisions off into a separate bill, but that didn't happen before this spring's federal election was called, and the bill died on the order paper. Fraser said no decision has been made yet on whether to bring back online harms legislation in one bill or two. 'That is precisely the kind of thing that I want to have an opportunity to discuss with stakeholders, to ensure we're moving forward in a way that will create a broad base of public support,' he said. Fraser said the government could 'modify existing versions that we may have on the shelf from the previous Parliament as may be needed, or to accept the form in which we had the legislation.' He added he wants to have a 'fresh consideration of the path forward, where I personally can benefit from the advice of those closest to the file who know best how to keep kids safe online.' While the government hasn't set a date to introduce legislation, it could include some online harms measures in a crime bill Fraser plans to table in the fall. Fraser said online harms provisions that 'touch more specifically on criminal activity' could be 'included in one piece of legislation, with a broader set of reforms on online harms at a different time.' Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said she hopes to get Liberal support for her private members' bill that tackles online harms. It's a second version of legislation previously introduced by the Alberta MP, who says she tried to incorporate feedback from stakeholder groups and the previous response to C-63. Her bill would impose on platforms a duty of care for children, and modernize laws around non-consensual distribution of intimate images to include sexual deepfakes, among other measures. Rempel Garner said she wrote the proposed bill, which she argues can be quickly passed and implemented, as 'a non-partisan plea to move forward with legislation that could provide immediate protections without forcing massive trade offs in civil liberties.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
9 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Liberals revamping online harms bill with focus on deepfakes, exploitation and AI: justice minister
Article content Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal government plans to take a 'fresh' look at its online harms legislation over the summer, but it's not clear yet exactly what the bill will look like when it is reintroduced. It would be the Liberals' third attempt to pass legislation to address harmful behaviour online. Article content Fraser told The Canadian Press in an interview that the government hasn't decided whether to rewrite or simply reintroduce the Online Harms Act, which was introduced in 2024 but did not pass. Article content He said Canadians can expect measures addressing deepfakes and child exploitation 'to be included in legislative reforms coming up in the near future.' In their election platform, the Liberals promised to make the distribution of non-consensual sexual deepfakes a criminal offence. They also pledged to introduce a bill to protect children from online sexploitation and extortion, and to give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to pursue those crimes. Fraser said the growth of artificial intelligence is influencing the discussions. The spread of generative AI has changed both the online space and everyday life since the federal government first introduced the legislation. 'We will have that in mind as we revisit the specifics of online harms legislation,' he added. 'The world changes and governments would be remiss if they didn't recognize that policy needs to shift.' Article content Who's responsible for online harms? Responsibility for troubled file floats between ministers Online harms legislation was first proposed by then-heritage minister Steven Guilbeault in 2021, but after widespread criticism, the government pivoted and shifted the file to the justice minister. Guilbeault is now back in his old ministry, which has been renamed Canadian identity and culture. Prime Minister Mark Carney has also created an artificial intelligence ministry, headed up by rookie MP Evan Solomon. Fraser said he expects 'significant engagement' with Guilbeault and Solomon, but it will be determined later which minister will take the lead on the file. The first version of the bill alarmed critics who warned that the provision requiring platforms to take down offending content within 24 hours would undermine free expression. Article content When Fraser's predecessor, Arif Virani, introduced the Online Harms Act in 2024, the bill restricted that 24-hour takedown provision to content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, or intimate content shared without consent, including deepfakes. It also required social media companies to explain how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, and imposed on them a duty to protect children. But the government also included Criminal Code and Canadian Human Rights Act amendments targeting hate in the same legislation — which some said risked chilling free speech. In late 2024, Virani said he would split those controversial provisions off into a separate bill, but that didn't happen before this spring's federal election was called, and the bill died on the order paper. Fraser said no decision has been made yet on whether to bring back online harms legislation in one bill or two. Article content 'That is precisely the kind of thing that I want to have an opportunity to discuss with stakeholders, to ensure we're moving forward in a way that will create a broad base of public support,' he said. Fraser said the government could 'modify existing versions that we may have on the shelf from the previous Parliament as may be needed, or to accept the form in which we had the legislation.' He added he wants to have a 'fresh consideration of the path forward, where I personally can benefit from the advice of those closest to the file who know best how to keep kids safe online.' While the government hasn't set a date to introduce legislation, it could include some online harms measures in a crime bill Fraser plans to table in the fall. Fraser said online harms provisions that 'touch more specifically on criminal activity' could be 'included in one piece of legislation, with a broader set of reforms on online harms at a different time.' Latest National Stories
