'Looking for the Weinstein of Quebec': impresario Gilbert Rozon's civil trial begins

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'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.

Nine women who allege they were assaulted by Rozon, 70, are seeking a total of just under $14 million in damages in a case that's expected to sit until the end of March 2025.

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.

Morin noted that the allegations emerged during the #MeToo movement. "Evidently, they were looking for the Weinstein of Quebec, a public person perfect for the situation," Morin said, referring to the disgraced American movie mogul.

She says there was a "modus operandi" but it was the plaintiffs not Rozon who employed it, noting the victims organized quickly. She said they "contaminated" each other's memories and stories.

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.

Bruce Johnston, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, told the court they intend to prove that Rozon was a "real predator" who employed a similar technique against his victims.