Maripier Morin and Julien Lacroix have little choice. To return to the public sphere, they must go through an equally public therapy. In their case, a my culpa well felt is not enough. They have to reveal their inner journey and submit it to the famous people’s tribunal.
Posted at 7:15 a.m.
The return to the arena of these two personalities who have been heavily splashed and discarded in the wake of the #metoo movement is currently on everyone’s lips. The actress-host and the comedian, both from the same generation, were the darlings of the Quebec public. Today, they seem to have as many detractors as admirers.
Will they succeed in regaining the place they occupied before their career took a hit? History will tell.
Following allegations of sexual harassment, physical assault and the making of racist remarks, Maripier Morin put her career on hold in July 2020. The young woman immediately began therapy with the aim of ending, in particular, to his addiction to alcohol and cocaine.
Here she is now headlining the film Arlettewhich is scheduled for release on August 5th.
As for comedian Julien Lacroix, who was targeted by allegations of sexual misconduct, he also undertook an “intensive therapeutic process”.
Now he is ready to come back on stage to make his audience laugh.
Those who have been wondering for months how long the purgatory of these cloistered stars must last before they consider a return on stage or on screen have their answer: 24 months! At least for these two.
During my career, I have seen scandals. From theft (coat, gloves, ring, bottle of wine) to drunk driving, tax evasion, concealment and the sale of narcotics, “our stars” have often slipped. You only have to reread the “yellow newspapers” of the last decades on the BAnQ website to realize this.
What has changed today, apart from the nature of the fault and the way in which it is brought to light (remember that Maripier Morin and Julien Lacroix have not been officially accused of anything before the courts), is the way which one goes about whitewashing one’s image in order to win back the hearts of the public, this other addiction that no one talks about.
A few weeks before the release ofArlette, Maripier Morin opted for the method of the long “truth interview” with none other than the first lady of Canada, Sophie Grégoire. For some time now, the latter has been presenting capsules dealing with mental health issues. The interview, published on the magazine’s digital platforms Elle Quebecoffers Maripier Morin the opportunity to talk about her journey over the past two years and her experience of motherhood.
This interview follows his participation in the podcast series Seeds of hope, in the company of Angelo Rubino and Jean-Claude Télémaque, where she tackles the problems linked to addiction with great guts. In short, his return is smooth, but taking the headwind.
For his part, Julien Lacroix announced during the week that he was going to record a podcast show on July 12 in front of an audience of 25 people (additional ones have been added). The goal is to highlight the two years of sobriety he has just experienced. It should be noted that the profits from the sale of tickets for this event will be used to prevent alcoholism and drug addiction among young people.
These headliners have been judged by the public and it is by facing this same public that they will try to make a comeback. Fed to the media of all kinds, it is through them that they will try to regain their place.
I confess that I am completely torn by these operations. I wonder if I am witnessing a rehabilitation strategy superbly modeled on its time or rather a lesson in courage and determination. Because it requires it to get out of an addiction, regardless of its nature.
For the moment, I cling to the effect that the approach of these two idols and the taboos that it is breaking down can have. Engaging in therapy is, these days, something that is often kept to oneself. Not only do people who suffer experience it in secret, but when they dare to climb the mountain, they do so in secret.
For once, the distressing shamelessness that strikes our societies will be used for something constructive.
Is this act of contrition going too far? When we look at Éric Lapointe, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a woman in October 2020 and who offers shows in several cities in Quebec to the delight of his admirers, we are right to ask questions.
It is difficult to predict the effects that the testimonies of Julien Lacroix and Maripier Morin will have on the public. This will depend on several factors. The tone and choice of words used will be crucial. For the rest, it will be necessary to rely on the mood of the moment. One more denunciation in the face of another personality or a controversial judgment could turn everything upside down.
One can also wonder how the people who have denounced the behavior of Maripier Morin and Julien Lacroix will react. Will they find these two getting off too easily? Will they want to intervene more in the public space as some have started to do?
This climate will undoubtedly tint the promotion surrounding the film Arlette. I’m curious to see the place that Maripier Morin’s fall and rise will take during the interviews. The questions that will then be submitted to her will not benefit from the protective framework that the actress has enjoyed so far. It will be interesting to see the mechanism that the team in charge of press relations will put in place.
Since the outbreak of the #metoo movement, much has been said about the role of public denunciations and that of the real courts. The success or failure of these returns should help us to go further in this reflection.
Interviewed by my colleague Simon Chabot in 2020, Rachel Chagnon, professor in the department of legal sciences at UQAM, made this very correct observation.
“The traditional justice system rewards those who admit their wrongdoing by often reducing their sentence and harsher punishments for those who deny it outright. On social networks, those who admit their faults can pay dearly and those who deny often come out unscathed. »
Julien Lacroix and Maripier Morin show their cards and go for broke. They do not know the outcome of this risk.
But an invisible tribunal, to which we rely more and more, will decide.
