In his recent documentary Roch Voisine: The ascentthe Quebec music icon speaks like never before, offering an honest and unfiltered look at his career, his personal life, and above all, on the rumors that have long swelled around his public image.
Among these rumors, one of the most notable and controversial concerns his alleged link with ex-Montreal Canadiens star Stéphane Richer and speculation about their sexual orientation.
In the closed and often ruthless world of hockey, certain secrets have remained buried for decades.
The rumors circulating in the locker rooms and behind the scenes of sport fueled fantasies and caused tensions.
But never has a rumor had as many repercussions as the one which one day linked the name of Roch Voisine to that of the former star of the Montreal Canadiens, Stéphane Richer.
A rumor which, during the 1990s, shook the world of hockey and music, but which, in reality, was nothing more than a destructive invention.
It is rare for legends to confront the ghosts of the past. However, Roch Voisine, in his documentary, looks back on this dark era, where his name was sullied because of absurd assumptions and endless media speculation.
The history of homosexuality in the locker room is more than just a topic of discussion; it was a bomb that exploded, not only in the world of hockey, but also in the collective imagination of Quebec.
Recall that in Lance and Count (The Tear)a series whose plot seems to be inspired by the dramas experienced by certain players, a fictional character, Philippe Lalumière (Dave Morissette), is the victim of a forced coming out after a website exposed his private life.
The scene is powerful and heartbreaking. It echoes a reality that is far too often ignored. Réjean Tremblay, a great connoisseur of the world of hockey, was surprised at the time that no professional player had yet come out during his career.
“I know several players who came out after retiring. But during their career… none,” he said. The weight of homophobia in the world of sport is much heavier than we think. Even today.
And yet, there were murmurs. Rumors, whispers that poisoned the lives of those they touched.
The most famous gossip concerning Quebec hockey was that which linked Roch Voisine to Stéphane Richer. A fantasy fueled by journalists hungry for scandal and media in search of sensationalism.
The idea that a secret romance existed between the singer with the golden voice and the star forward of the Montreal Canadiens was intriguing enough to capture the collective imagination.
However, as Roch Voisine reveals in the documentary, this rumor had no real basis.
But behind this lie lies a painful truth. For Stéphane Richer, the rumor was not a simple inconvenience.
It was a personal ordeal.
“At the start of a game, Oilers players called Richer a f**kin queer,” said Réjean Tremblay.
The situation could have degenerated into a fight, but Marc Messier, in a show of class, calmed things down.
“Play your game. No one is going to disgust you here”he told Richer. A reply which demonstrates an open-mindedness rare at the time, but which, unfortunately, was not enough to erase the pain that this rumor caused Richer.
The weight of the rumors was so heavy for Richer that he came close to death. In a poignant interview, he revealed that he had considered suicide.
“I thought about committing suicide”he admitted on the set of the show Arcand.
“I often tried to miss a turn at 150 miles an hour”he confided, a moving testimony of a man broken by inner demons.
“I admit it was scary when I came home and found myself alone at home.”
But these dark thoughts found a way out thanks to a tragic event:
“The death of Gaétan Girouard opened my eyes that I did not want to experience that.”
It was a turning point for Richer, but also a cry for help for all those who find themselves trapped in a world where self-acceptance is a constant struggle.
“I have never slept well since I was 10 or 11”added Richer, a tragic admission of the suffering that accompanied him throughout his career.
While the hockey world was torn apart by these rumors, Roch Voisine, for his part, continued to conquer the hearts of Quebecers with his music.
But the shadow of this false relationship with Richer still hung over him.
Once again, he found himself a prisoner of the collective imagination, without even having wanted it.
However, hockey remains a world where the notion of masculinity is omnipresent. In this world of strong men and locker rooms where the slightest weakness is an open door to mockery, homosexuality has always been a taboo.
“In the NHL in the 1980s, I once met a player who – to hide his homosexuality – always carried girls’ bobbers with him. He used them as handkerchiefs to deceive his teammates!”confides Tremblay, an anecdote as surprising as it is tragic, illustrating the fear and shame that inhabited certain players.
Today, the situation has evolved, but the path remains dark. Homophobia remains present, but mentalities are gradually changing.
However, in this tragic saga between Roch Voisine and Stéphane Richer, it is human suffering that stands out the most.
A suffering born from ignorance, hasty judgments and labels imposed by a society which prefers to ignore the truth rather than accepting others in their difference.
“I also worried about nothing. I’m very sensitive and everything seems to affect me. I often found myself without energy because I was spending my energy in the wrong places”confides Stéphane Richer, a declaration that resonates like a cry of pain in a world that is too often cruel.
This story is more than just a rumor; it reflects a time when intolerance was the norm and even the biggest sports stars had to hide their true identities to survive.
The scars left by these rumors, pressures and judgments run deep. But today, the testimony of Richer and Voisine can be an electric shock for change.
The hockey taboo, that of homosexuality, must no longer be a shadow threatening the future of athletes. Only by confronting these ghosts can we hope for true reconciliation with ourselves and others.
It is a story of suffering, silence and liberation. A story that reminds us that, sometimes, it is the unsaid things and the most destructive rumors that leave the deepest scars.
At the time when Roch Voisine was dominating the airwaves with his hits such as Darlin’ or Avant depart, he was at the peak of his popularity.
His concerts filled the biggest venues, and his face was omnipresent in magazines. But in the shadow of this dazzling glory, increasingly persistent rumors began to circulate, calling his private life into question.
One of the most sulfurous and devastating was that which linked him to Stéphane Richer and the speculations on this secret romantic relationship between the two disfigured the image of Voisine, giving birth to a story which not only affected the morale of the artist, but also that of Richer, whose career also took a hit because of these allegations.
In the documentary, Roch Voisine does not hesitate to return to this troubled period.
“I don’t even know how this rumor started”he confides.
The singer describes his astonishment at the extent of public speculation, so much so that journalists and magazines seemed to make up stories to fuel the buzz around his private life.
It wasn’t just a matter of gossip; these allegations had a profound impact on his career, particularly because of the conservative image he had carefully cultivated.
Indeed, the advertising industry, crucial at the time, was quick to distance itself, and Roch admits to having lost several lucrative contracts because of these rumors, even if he was never given the real details. reason.
“I was never told it was directly related to this, but I know it is”he reveals.
The link with Stéphane Richer, although unfounded, nevertheless left its mark. What began as a simple rumor took on considerable proportions, fueled by the attraction that these two great figures of Quebec had on the public.
At the time, Richer was a key player for the Montreal Canadiens, and Roch Voisine’s popularity was at its peak. The intersection of their respective worlds gave rise to a fiction fueled by the media and by people ready to make speculations to sell stories.
But if this story had the effect of nourishing the collective imagination, it also left aftereffects. One of the people most affected by this speculation was Stéphane Richer himself.
Although both men have never spoken publicly on the matter, it is clear that these rumors have had an impact on their respective careers.
It wasn’t just a matter of privacy, it was a matter of reputation.
If Richer was a player appreciated by fans, this rumor tarnished part of his image, well beyond the simple sporting field.
The singer also draws parallels with how rumors were handled in the past compared to today.
The media has changed. Today, everyone can have access to information in real time. We no longer believe the gossip of the time. But at the time, it was quite a spectacle.
If the history of rumors was significant for Roch Voisine, it is interesting to note that he has always kept a certain distance from his public image.
In the documentary, he shares touching moments with his children, Kilian and Alix-Élouane, who discover the archives of his past.
He shows them his legendary concerts, like the one at the Eiffel Tower in front of 80,000 spectators, and shares with them significant memories of his career.
But he also tells them, with emotion, of the day when his son Kilian did not recognize him after a long stay on tour.
This moment, according to him, marked a turning point in his family life, and he made the decision not to leave for so long.
Now 62, Roch Voisine doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of aging, including health issues like hearing loss.
So, Roch Voisine: The ascent offers a poignant and heartfelt view of the artist behind the star, a man who, despite hardships, continues to shine.
Rumors, gossip and scandals are part of every celebrity’s story.
