[PHOTOS] “Fatherhood has done me a world of good”: Julien Lacroix marks his son Sam’s first birthday

Having celebrated the first birthday of his youngest son, Sam, this weekend, Julien Lacroix enjoys his role as dad every day, with the challenges that it brings. For the comedian who hit rock bottom a few years ago, the arrival of fatherhood may have even saved his life.

“Without him, honestly, I don’t even know if I would still be here,” mentions Journal Julien Lacroix on his boy, Léo, born in the summer of 2021. A year earlier, the comedian had been targeted by allegations of sexual misconduct, which had abruptly ended the tour of his first one- man show.

“I’m not proud to say it, but it allowed me to hold on tightly, to tell myself that life is worth living because there is someone coming. It forces you to take charge and move forward. Without putting all the responsibilities on his shoulders, that’s what Leo was used for initially. I think it allowed us to hang on to get back better.”

Keep yourself balanced

“I don’t invite people to have children to hang on,” he continues. It’s just that in my case, it allowed me to get my head out of my ass. There is beauty that is present beyond everything else. Hang in there and keep yourself balanced, keep yourself on the beautiful path. Now it’s not just up to you.”

Two years after Léo’s arrival, Julien and his partner Maude welcomed their second boy, Sam. “It’s so special because they are two completely different situations,” remarks the comedian. With Leo, I was a full-time stay-at-home dad, so constantly with him. And with Sam, a year ago, I was in the peak of preparation for the show and the premiere.”

“You are no longer the priority”

Having two little guys at home has inevitably disrupted the daily lives of both parents who are self-employed. “When you start in this profession, it’s cool, you don’t have a schedule, it’s a bit you who decide,” says Julien. When the time comes to have children, you have to make a schedule, it becomes more routine and supervised.”

Having a balance in work and family routine is one of the biggest challenges of fatherhood, according to Julien Lacroix. “You are no longer the priority. They are the number ones. It brings you back down to earth on another level. It did me a lot of good.”