In a press conference at the National Assembly, Louis Boyard first announced that he would «file a complaint» for the insults live Thursday evening from Cyril Hanouna, in his show on the C8 channel.
«Whether you are a deputy or not, a presenter does not have to insult someone live for having criticized the owner of his channel», Vincent Bolloré, insisted the deputy Insoumis.
But when he returned to the air on Monday evening in Touche pas à mon poste, Cyril Hanouna indicated in turn that he would sue Louis Boyard for defamation.
«Know that we too will take action. And we will attack for what he may have said, defamation, and all the defamation he had against us», declared the host at the end of a program entirely devoted to «the affair», where all the columnists have united behind their leader.
Last Thursday, live exchanges between Cyril Hanouna and Louis Boyard, former columnist for «Touche Pas à mon poste» (TPMP), had degenerated when the second accused the «five richest people» in France of «impoverishing the ‘Africa», citing in particular Vincent Bolloré, owner of the Canal group.
«You’re a shit» retorted the host of the hit show – with an average of 1.8 million viewers and peaks at more than 2 million – after calling the MP «idiot», «jester» and «tocard».
On his set Monday evening, Cyril Hanouna and his columnists did not hesitate to attack the young elected official again.
Cyril Hanouna «regretted the insulting remarks» he may have had, but he also indicated that «on the sequence», he «did not apologize at all».
The host recalled that Louis Boyard had received C8 fees for his participation in his show («6,784 euros», according to figures given by Cyril Hanouna).
Moreover, Vincent Bolloré is «not my boss», but «a 20-year-old friend», he also underlined, to justify his anger at his former columnist.
«A friend who always supported me, who was the only one to call me when I had 200 euros per month and sometimes per week (…) the only one who took news, the only one», he said. he says.
Coming to the set, three deputies from the right of the hemicycle (Karl Olive from Renaissance, Pierre-Henri Dumont from LR, Julien Odoul from RN) and a former PS deputy supporting the presidential majority (Eduardo Rihan Cypel) criticized the insults from Cyril Hanouna, but reserved their harshest words for Louis Boyard.
«I think Cyril that you were catastrophic, especially in form,» said Karl Olive, inviting the star host to apologize «in relation to all the deputies and the institution».
But «what did Louis Boyard do in his life» attacked Pierre-Henri Dumont, mocking the «strategy of permanent buzz», while Julien Odoul evoked «the strategy of permanent victimization».
Monday, during his press conference, Louis Boyard again pointed the finger at Vincent Bolloré, «the incarnation of Françafrique» according to him.
“It is essential that the media maintain their independence from these billionaires,” said the LFI deputy.
Louis Boyard recalled that his group has tabled a bill to «put an end to concentration in the media», by «limiting shareholders’ access to the capital of the major media through a right of approval».
He also asked Cyril Hanouna to «organize a debate» on his show «about Bolloré’s actions in Africa».