Quebec's most famous and controversial psychiatrist is no more: Pierre Mailloux, whom everyone called Doc Mailloux, received medical assistance in dying this morning. He was 74 years old.
• Also read – Death of Doc Mailloux: his friend Réjean Tremblay pays tribute to him
• Also read: Death of Doc Mailloux: Denis Lévesque remembers the controversial collaborator
His family spread the news on social networks through the pages of his podcast “Le Doc Mailloux & Josey – Libres et sans taboos,” which he co-hosted with Josey Arsenault for seven years.
Here with host Josey Arsenault. Both have been co-hosting the podcast “Le Doc Mailloux & Josey – Libres et sans taboos” for seven years. Photo from the Facebook page Le Doc Mailloux & Josey – Libres
“He died peacefully after an incurable illness,” his relatives said.
Doc Mailloux was devastated by a kidney infection and was hospitalized in Trois-Rivières for three weeks.
“He had a high fever, the doctors had difficulty figuring out what was wrong with him and eventually he decided to die. […] It deteriorated quickly,” revealed Josey Arsenault in an interview with TVA Nouvelles.
Controversies
After having his left leg amputated following a collision with a car in 1988, Pierre Mailloux made a name for himself on radio in the 1990s by hosting the popular show Un psy à l'oreille on CKAC.
Afterwards we saw and heard him on television, on TQS, TVA and Radio-Canada and on FM 93 in Quebec.
His media career was marked by numerous controversies.
Doc Mailloux was repeatedly in trouble with the College of Physicians because of his controversial statements. Archive photo
The most important thing came when, on the set of Tout le monde en talk, he confirmed that, according to a study, black and indigenous people had below-average intelligence quotients.
He also called former Saguenay mayor Jean Tremblay “crazy,” claimed that former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty lacked masculinity and claimed that some women enjoy being beaten by their spouses to get away with it benefit.
“A superstar”
Despite his escapades, which resulted in him being expelled from the College of Physicians seven times, Doc Mailloux was a valued co-worker, according to his former colleagues.
One of the most famous trials in which he testified was that of Corporal Denis Lortie, who killed three people in the Quebec Parliament in 1984. Doc Mailloux is seen here on the left with a lawyer. Archive photo
“On air he had a personality that left no one indifferent, but in everyday life he was a very pleasant person. He wasn't looking for confrontation. It was very pleasant to be with him,” recalls presenter Sylvain Bouchard from FM 93.
- Listen to the interview with Réjean Tremblay, good friend of Doc Mailloux, on Benoit Dutrizac's show QUB :
He said he saw the affection many people had for the psychiatrist, particularly when he attended a boxing gala.
“He was a superstar, people went up to him and told him how much they loved him. For what ? People appreciated the fact that he withstood all his storms. He always said what he thought. He was someone of integrity. »
Good words
“He helped the suffering, the unloved, the people who were unhappy in their own skin, and he took them in on Saturdays and Sundays too.”
– Réjean Tremblay, columnist
“A man of outstanding intelligence, with clear and decisive opinions, such as I like. We didn't always agree, but we all respected him. He managed to make us laugh, think and learn at the same time. »
– Éric Duhaime, head of the PCQ
“With him I learned that we can have different opinions and discuss ideas without it affecting our respect for each other. »
– Josey Arsenault, host