Racked with $200,000 in debt, particularly to Revenu Québec and the Canada Revenue Agency, FM93 host Jérôme Landry admits he’s had to take a break to take care of his mental health.
It is a remarkable absence that Jérôme Landry’s was on the airwaves of FM93 for three weeks.
His co-host Jonathan Trudeau, who was alone at the wheel of the Trudeau-Landry show, wasn’t very vocal about his pal’s prolonged absence, merely hinting that it was sending him positive vibes.
Looking to take over the helm of the midday show again in the coming days, Jérôme Landry agreed to confide in the journal his financial woes, which then prompted him to take a break from radio on his doctor’s recommendation.
The host owns a business — Communications Jérôme Landry Inc. — that owes $200,000, including $90,000 to Revenu Québec and $50,000 to the Canada Revenue Agency.
“I am responsible for what happened to my company. I don’t want anyone’s pity, it’s my fault,” the innkeeper starts straight away.
“Nothing to Hide”
However, he agreed to speak about his financial and psychological situation, saying he had “nothing to hide”.
The 45-year-old says he started his company in 2015 when he left Radio X for Énergie.
“I thought of myself as a businessman, only in reality I was a bad manager of my company at the beginning,” he chides.
“I’ve been in denial for years, made agreements, tried to catch up, but the amounts are increasing, the penalties,” admits Jérôme Landry.
proposal to creditors
With $140,000 in debt to the tax authorities and $60,000 to a banking institution, the decision to go to a trustee was inevitable.
“From the moment I saw that I was forced to take such measures, I could sleep, I could eat, I had no life. It was 24 hours a day, the only thing I thought about was the financial headache,” explains the man, who lost 30 pounds from the ordeal.
A settlement proposal was finally submitted to the creditors at the beginning of August. The court case is expected to be settled by the end of October.
Can’t wait to get back on the air
Jérôme Landry claims to have the support of his employer and is now “very eager” to return to the airwaves.
As for the impact this disappointment will have on his career, the opinion leader is relying on those who will listen. “The audience decides,” he believes.
He has already received a number of encouraging messages via social media. “People send me positive vibes, people are friendly and ask me about it.”
Therefore, once this “lesson for life” is behind him, the host hopes to be able to move on. “I’m not going to spend my life scratching it, even if there’s nothing to be proud of,” he concludes.
WHAT HE SAID
- “I’m not a victim of anyone, I’m not a victim of the IRS”
- “I have absolutely nothing to hide, but I’m not looking for pity either”
- “It’s gradual, but there were parts where I was on autopilot. It’s very engaging, it’s invasive”
- “My doctor stopped me from doing that. If you eat Pooh and sleep Pooh, you can’t make the radio.
- “I can’t be proud of that, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be embarrassing for people in this situation. It can happen in life, it happens to thousands of people a year.
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