'Convicted, executed the same day... what more do you want?' Just for Laughs founder blasts media at sex assault civil trial

National Post

06-06-2025

MONTREAL — The founder of Montreal's Just for Laughs festival broke his silence on Thursday about sexual assault allegations, accusing reporters of denying him justice as he emerged from a second day on the stand at a civil trial.
Article content
Gilbert Rozon, 70, is testifying in his own defence in response to allegations from nine Quebec women who are seeking $14 million in damages over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct in Quebec Superior Court.
Article content
Article content
Article content
'Convicted, executed the same day, and then I lost everything. So what more do you want? It was the business I built with my own hands and my teams for 35 years, all the women who were at the top were kicked out,' the Just for Laughs founder said following his second day on the stand.
'I lost everything, I was ruined. I'm here for justice, not even for myself, it's so that the law remains.'
Article content
Earlier in the day, the Quebec impresario testified he regretted pleading guilty to a charge involving a 19-year-old female croupier during a 1998 party at the Manoir Rouville-Campbell in Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.
Article content
Rozon told the court he was under immense pressure to resolve the case, which caused his entertainment company to be 'plunged into a media hellhole' when it was made public.
Article content
'We were losing tens of thousands of dollars a day. It quickly reached $2 million,' Rozon told the court.
Article content
Article content
After meeting with family, he said he was encouraged to settle the matter and plead guilty. He eventually received an unconditional discharge on appeal.
Article content
Article content
'They told me it was better to settle for the good of the company,' Rozon told the court. 'But for a long time I resented those who had ordered me to do that because I felt like I was betraying my convictions, my principles.'
Article content
All of the women suing Rozon in the civil trial have testified about their experiences and faced cross-examination.
Article content
'If I don't defend myself, it will become a form of legalized extortion, and that's what's happening,' Rozon said. 'What do I have to gain here? … Explain it to me, please.'
Article content
His testimony is expected to continue over several days in the coming weeks.
Article content
'A couple of weeks from now they (will) ask me all the questions and you can trust them to push me to the limit, so I'll answer it,' Rozon said. 'You can be sure of that.'