While participating in the recording of a live podcast on the sidelines of the Emerging Humor Festival in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, comedian Thomas Levac declared several times on stage that Philippe Bond was “a rapist”. The excerpt from the live broadcast which was to be reserved for ticket holders ended up on QC scoop’s YouTube channel, forcing the principal to claim his innocence on social media.
“Philippe Bond is a rapist”, can we hear comedian Thomas Levac say on the video extract which has gone viral. “He invites women into his chariot and he doesn’t let them out. Never forget that! He just chases women, never men. »
The artist, who seems angry, goes on to call the other participants in the podcast “cowards who would know about this rape story.
“I don’t care, that man doesn’t impress me,” he adds in front of the crowd, emitting a few nervous laughs. Fuck Philip Bond! Often in the media they wonder who is the comedian that everyone is talking about who didn’t come out… It’s Philippe Bond! »
Philippe Bond reacted strongly on his professional Facebook page, claiming to have never been an aggressor and “to have no choice but to initiate legal proceedings” against this humorist circulating what he describes as falsehood to his topic.
“Today I get up and I shout loud and clear my innocence, he writes. All the relationships I have had have been consensual, I have NEVER been an aggressor, NEVER will be and I will NEVER accept being accused of it without defending myself. »
He claims to be aware that many testimonies have been circulating for years telling terrible stories.
“No victim deserves what they have gone through and unfortunately there are many other serious stories that remain in the shadows,” he continues in his publication which, at the time of this writing, had accumulated 5,200 I like and 682 mostly positive comments about it.
Recall that Philippe Bond pleaded guilty to impaired driving last May. The comedian had admitted having taken the wheel at the exit of a bar in Rivière-du-Loup in March with an alcohol level higher than the legal limit, thus inheriting a criminal record, a fine of $1,000 and a driving ban for a period of one year.
Festival reactions
Contacted by Le Journal, the management of the Festival d’humour emergent en Abitibi-Témiscamingue distanced itself from Thomas Levac’s comments.
“The Emerging Humor Festival dissociates itself from all allegations made by comedians in connection with the event, against anyone,” explained Camille Dallaire, President of the Emerging Humor Festival. Trusting our artists and their management teams, we do not carry out any form of control over their comments during their performances. »
The president of the Festival insists on the fact that this live broadcast was private, therefore reserved for holders of tickets purchased for the said broadcast. His team therefore finds it difficult to explain why the extract ended up on YouTube and specifies that they were never contacted by the owner of the YouTube channel that put the video online for permission to use it.
“The FHE has never given its consent for extracts from this broadcast to be used or broadcast outside this unique context,” she adds. We absolutely do not consent to any excerpt from our private and paid broadcasts being then broadcast by a third party without our consent.
Thomas Levac did not respond to interview requests from the Journal and did not react publicly.