Nathalie Simard

Nathalie Simard (born 7 July 1969) is a pop singer from Quebec, Canada, and the younger sister of performer René Simard. Simard was born in Île d'Orléans, near Quebec City, and was discovered by producer Guy Cloutier. Her first role was in a Laura Secord pudding commercial at age 2. She also appeared on some television shows, the first being Le Village de Nathalie, a children's TV show where she wore a princess dress. She also hosted Les Mini-Stars de Nathalie. Simard revealed she had been sexually abused by Cloutier since 1980. She sued him and his company Productions Guy Cloutier (PGC), for more than $1.2 million, but settled out of court. Cloutier was convicted of criminal charges in 2004 regarding this assault and that of another unidentified child. He subsequently received a 3.5-year prison term. Michel Vastel's biography on Simard, Briser le Silence (Breaking the Silence), was published in 2005 (ISBN 978-2764802434) amid controversy. Vastel blasted Radio-Canada for continuing to work on television programs with Cloutier through his new company, Novem Communications. The book also charged René Simard with mishandling his sister's finances when he was her legal guardian, and with attempting to bribe her to keep details of Cloutier's abuses from the public. René Simard responded to these claims with a news conference denying details of Vastel's account. Simard curtailed a tour for the 2007 album Il y avait un jardin, her first album since the 1990s. She announced that she would leave the entertainment industry and move with her daughter to the Dominican Republic to escape scrutiny by the media after performing a final Montreal concert in April 2008. The Nathalie Simard Foundation, which she established in 2005 to assist sexually abused children, was also shut down. Following this cancellation, a $2.3 million lawsuit was filed against Simard and her production company in April 2008 claiming a loss of expected tour profits. Two additional lawsuits were also active as Yves Campeau sought $38,000 while her former manager Éric Dubois sought $60,000. Both Campeau and Dubois were reportedly ex-boyfriends of Simard. Le temps des fêtes chez la famille Simard à l'Ile d'Orléans (with other members of the Simard family), 1972 18 ans déjà (René Simard album where she sings on "Tous les enfants du monde" and "Noël des enfants"), 1979 Joyeux Noël...Nathalie, 1979 Nathalie chante pour ses amis, 1980 Nathalie Simard (Je n'aurais jamais dû partir), 1980 Un Noël blanc (with other artists; 2 new songs), 1980 La Rentrée...Nathalie, 1981 Noël avec Nathalie et les Petits Chanteurs de Granby, 1981 See also D'où viens-tu, bergère? Nathalie Simard (Ouvre-moi la porte), 1982 20 souvenirs de Noël René et Nathalie (compilation), 1982 René et Nathalie Sur la plage (compilation with 2 new songs), 1983 René et Nathalie en concert (1982 concert), 1983 Comment ça va (René Simard album where she sings on "Fais pas la gueule au Bon Dieu"), 1983 Animauville, 1983 Nostalgie de Noël (compilation with other artists), 1983 Chante avec Nathalie (Monsieur Fred Hamster), 1984 Chante et raconte La Guerre des tuques, 1984 Joyeuses Fêtes René & Nathalie (compilation), 1984 J'ai rencontré le Père Noël, 1984 (Quebec Version) Nathalie Simard (Mes amis les calinours), 1985 15 Grands Succès de Nathalie (compilation), 1985 Noël sous la neige (compilation, with other artists), 1985 Le Village de Nathalie vol.1: 'la lettre d'amour', 1986 Le Village de Nathalie vol.2 (12 new songs), 1986 Le Village de Nathalie vol.3: 'Le Noël de Saute-Flocon', 1986 La Fugue du petit poucet (Le lapin qui peint; music for children with other artists) Paris, 1986 Noël d'antan (with other artists, compilation with new songs), 1986 Nathalie Simard: édition spéciale, promotional cassette for Smarties Joyeux Noël à tous les enfants (compilation with one new song), 1987 René - Nathalie Simard (Tout si tu m'aimes), 1988 Au maximum, 1991 Parole de femme, 1994 Demain matin Montréal m'attend (with other artists), 1995 René et Nathalie, collection 25 ans de carrière (compilation), 1996 Une femme ...Un enfant; Nathalie (compilation with one new song), 1997 Les coups d'coeur de Décibel (theme song of the TV show), 1999 Il y avait un jardin, 2007 Nathalie et Régis chantent Noël, 2011 Je veux vivre, 2019 Le Village de Nathalie (1985–1988) - TVA Les mini-stars de Nathalie (1988–1990) - TVA Décibel (1999–2000) Le petit monde de Laura Cadieux : Thérèse Un enfant comme les autres - 1972 J'ai Rencontré Le Père Noël - 1984 (Quebec Version) North Station (Station Nord) - 2002 Thieves of innocence, Les voleurs d'enfance - 2005, documentary Wyatt, Nelson. "Quebec star Nathalie Simard sues ex-manager Guy Cloutier over sex abuse". The Recorder and Times. Retrieved 29 May 2009.[dead link] Gordon, Sean (21 July 2006). "Disgraced Quebec impresario paroled; Cloutier abused two youngsters Province's media transfixed by story". Toronto Star. p. A22. Intini, John (6 June 2005). "Coming out of Hiding: Former Child Star Nathalie Simard Tells of Abuse". Maclean's. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2009. Bailey, Patricia (21 April 2008). "Song of sadness / The tragic tale of Quebec pop star Nathalie Simard". CBC News. Retrieved 28 December 2008. Jobber, Barbara (Spring 2009). "The Man Who Flipped Off Trudeau". Ryerson Review of Journalism. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2009. "Singer René Simard denies helping hide sister's abuse". CBC News. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2009. "Quebec Regional Panel / SRC re Bye Bye 2008 (CBSC Decision 08/09-0620+)". Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. 17 March 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009. Ravensbergen, Jan (30 April 2008). "Simard faces new legal challenges". The Gazette (Montreal). Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2009. Fortin, Jean-Louis (26 April 2008). "Départ de Nathalie Simard / Sa fondation ferme". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). Archived from the original on 26 May 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2009. Chouinard, Yvon (September 2008). "Le village de Nathalie". Canadian Communications Foundation. Retrieved 30 May 2009. Chouinard, Yvon (September 2008). "Les mini-stars de Nathalie". Canadian Communications Foundation. Retrieved 30 May 2009. Nathalie Simard at AllMusic (in French) Canoe profile[dead link] Nathalie Simard – The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada