Accused on social networks of being anti-vaccine, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge once again assured not to oppose the vaccine or the health measures against COVID-19. The actor and director maintains that he is ready to receive his two doses, but he is waiting for the approval of the Quebec vaccine Medicago.
“They come to me to tell me, publicly, that I am an antivax, because I think, because I get informed and because I have not made my decision yet. I know very well that the noose is tightening. […] But we must at least give the right to those to whom we say “you have the right to choose”, the time to choose. And the one I chose is not currently available, ”he says in a video posted on his Facebook account in early Friday afternoon.
Since Thursday, the director is sometimes strongly accused on social networks of being an antivacccin, sometimes taken as an example by the most fervent critics of COVID-19 vaccines. This is an article by Press which started the controversy Thursday by revealing that the director lost a contract to direct episodes of District 31 this fall because he had not yet received his two doses against the virus.
In a first official statement sent to the media late Thursday, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge had already supported waiting to be able to receive the vaccine of his choice, the one with which he felt “comfortable”. This is the vaccine from the Quebec biopharmaceutical company Medicago, which was supposed to be available this fall, but whose approval has been postponed.
Believing that “the situation gets out of hand” despite this first update, the host once again spoke publicly, this time on his social networks.
“I agree to get vaccinated because I would not have the choice to do so anyway if I want to continue living in society. Will you allow me to choose which one I want to have? »He continues in front of the camera of his phone, live from his car. The facilitator even ensures that he is ready to receive another vaccine if he cannot receive his first choice. “I will not live on the fringes of society, all alone on my side. I have a family. I want to be part of the gang. “
Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge insists: it is neither anti-vaccine nor against health measures. Press reported Thursday that the host allegedly asked two restaurants to admit him to their dining room even though he did not have vaccine proof. He also reportedly contacted colleagues in the arts to qualify their adherence to health measures as “brainwashing.”
“I never tried to tell someone ‘don’t get vaccinated’, he defends himself. Everyone is free to choose. He also ensures to respect “to the letter” the rules in place, such as wearing his mask at work or respecting physical distancing.
Remember that Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge currently hosts the variety show Masked singers, broadcast by TVA and whose filming ends on September 28. He is also at the helm of docurality If we loved each other, broadcast by the same network and whose filming ended last month.
Fuzzy rules
At present, the rules governing the vaccination of employees on a television set remain unclear and vary from place to place. On the set of District 31 for example, Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge was excluded this fall because he did not have a vaccination passport. However, it was not possible to confirm whether the passport is required from all employees. The show’s production company, Aetios, declined to comment on the situation. Just like the producer Fabienne Larouche.
Quebecor and its subsidiaries – including TVA – for their part intend to require the vaccination passport to all “employees, suppliers, visitors, subcontractors and consultants”, starting November 1, according to information from Press.
Also according to the daily, Bell Media, which owns the Noovo channel, Canal Vie and RDS, recently implemented a policy similar to that of Quebecor. Radio-Canada for its part does not impose the vaccination passport.
Contacted by The duty, the president of the Union des artistes was not available on Friday to comment on the subject.
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