Gilbert Rozon has denied the allegations and said that the women had formed a coalition against him with the aim of getting rich.

The 70-year-old Rozon took the stand for a second day in the high profile trial, discussing the rise of the comedy empire he founded. 

Quebec TV host and producer Julie Snyder told a civil trial today that she was sexually assaulted by Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon in Paris more than three decades ago.

Guylaine Courcelles alleges that Rozon sexually assaulted her in 1987 at his home in the Montreal suburb of Outremont when she was 22 years old and Rozon was in his 30s.

Just for Laughs cancelled its Montreal and Toronto festivals earlier this year and sought creditor protection, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, among other factors.

ComediHa! announced last week that it had reached an agreement to acquire the assets but that the deal had to be approved by Quebec Superior Court.

Court filings show attempts by Facebook and YouTube to compete with the increasingly popular TikTok are among the factors that led revenue to plummet at the JFL parent company.

Montreal comedy festival Just for Laughs and affiliated companies owe millions of dollars in unpaid debts beyond what was included in a court filing last week.

In Montreal, the situation is worrying organizers about whether the city can sustain its festive summer atmosphere and abundant offering of free entertainment.

The papers filed in Quebec's Superior Court show Juste pour rire owes $16.6 million to the National Bank of Canada.