Nathalie Simard
Nathalie Simard 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.
Abuse
Simard revealed she had been sexually abused by Cloutier since 1980. She sued him and his company Productions Guy Cloutier, 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, was published in 2005 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.
Curtailed comeback
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.Discography
- Le temps des fêtes chez la famille Simard à l'Ile d'Orléans, 1972
- 18 ans déjà , 1979
- Joyeux Noël...Nathalie, 1979
- Nathalie chante pour ses amis, 1980
- Nathalie Simard, 1980
- Un Noël blanc, 1980
- La Rentrée...Nathalie, 1981
- Noël avec Nathalie et les Petits Chanteurs de Granby, 1981 See also D'où viens-tu, bergère?
- Nathalie Simard , 1982
- 20 souvenirs de Noël René et Nathalie, 1982
- René et Nathalie Sur la plage, 1983
- René et Nathalie en concert, 1983
- Comment ça va, 1983
- Animauville, 1983
- Nostalgie de Noël, 1983
- Chante avec Nathalie , 1984
- Chante et raconte La Guerre des tuques, 1984
- Joyeuses Fêtes René & Nathalie, 1984
- J'ai rencontré le Père Noël, 1984
- Nathalie Simard, 1985
- 15 Grands Succès de Nathalie, 1985
- Noël sous la neige, 1985
- Le Village de Nathalie vol.1: 'la lettre d'amour, 1986
- Le Village de Nathalie vol.2, 1986
- Le Village de Nathalie vol.3: 'Le Noël de Saute-Flocon, 1986
- La Fugue du petit poucet Paris, 1986
- Noël d'antan, 1986
- Nathalie Simard: édition spéciale, promotional cassette for Smarties
- Joyeux Noël à tous les enfants, 1987
- René - Nathalie Simard , 1988
- Au maximum, 1991
- Parole de femme, 1994
- Demain matin Montréal m'attend, 1995
- René et Nathalie, collection 25 ans de carrière, 1996
- Une femme...Un enfant; Nathalie, 1997
- Les coups d'coeur de Décibel, 1999
- Il y avait un jardin, 2007
- Nathalie et Régis chantent Noël, 2011
- Je veux vivre, 2019
Television
Le Village de Nathalie - TVA- Les mini-stars de Nathalie - TVADécibel Le petit monde de Laura Cadieux : Thérèse
Filmography
- Un enfant comme les autres - 1972J'ai Rencontré Le Père Noël - 1984
- North Station - 2002
- Thieves of innocence, Les voleurs d'enfance - 2005, documentary