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Summary

A Viral Video Shows Billy Karaoke Crashing A Press Conference But The Gov't Says It's Fake

He's seen interrupting Legault's sign language interpreter before being forcibly removed.
Reporter

A viral video depicting Quebec's very own 'Billy Karaoke' interrupting Premier François Legault's press conference has made waves on social media — but as it turns out, it's not real. At least, according to the government, it's not.

The video, published on Billy's Instagram on May 12, has garnered over 28,000 views. It shows him replacing the Quebec Sign Language (QSL) interpreter and singing karaoke — albeit muted — while someone tries to forcibly remove him. 

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"A great victory for the karaoke community! [...] An intoxicating karaoke performance that lasted about 09 seconds," he wrote on Instagram.  

What do the press conference organizers say?

However, Antoine Tousignant, head of the public affairs team for the minister of the executive council, which organizes Legault's press conferences, told Narcity Québec the video was falsified. 

"The person could not even get in because the press briefings at the National Assembly [...] are monitored. There are special constables, he could never have entered there," he said.

"There is nothing more monitored than the ASSNAT."

'Billy Karaoke' responds 

Billy responded to Narcity Québec after being asked whether the video was fake.

"You suspect me of editing [a fake video]? Me? The living karaoke legend of the web after all I've done for the karaoke community?" he said.

"After going to fight the street gangs in the Bronx, after going to fight racism by attacking the KKK, after going to fight homophobia, after going to fight the bikers, you still don't have faith in the karaoke community?"

Billy assured Narcity Québec that there was nothing it could report that would tarnish his reputation.

"You can't do anything to tarnish the reputation of the King! I am an ideal and ideals are immortal," he said.

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    • Lea Sabbah was a Staff Writer for MTL Blog. Previously, Lea was a radio host on CJLO 1690 AM and her work has been published by Global News, the Toronto Star, Le Devoir and the National Observer. In 2019, she was part of the investigative team that uncovered lead in Montreal's drinking water — a story which won Quebec's Grand Prix Judith-Jasmin. She's a graduate of the journalism program at Concordia University.

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