“Chirac thought I was gay”: François Fillon’s revelations on the Legend podcast

François Fillon used a long interview on the Legend podcast to revisit the rumors, scandals and political grievances that shaped his failed 2017 presidential campaign.

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Jacques Chirac thought I was homosexual. He explained this to all his contacts.

Among the episodes he recalled was a rumor attributed to former president Jacques Chirac, who allegedly told people that Fillon was homosexual. Fillon said Chirac never raised the subject with him directly, but discussed it with Philippe Séguin, Fillon’s political mentor. According to Fillon, Séguin rejected the idea by pointing to Fillon’s five children, while Chirac replied that this “doesn’t mean anything.” Fillon described Chirac’s judgments about people’s appearance as sometimes superficial.

The former prime minister also used the interview to settle what he called old scores. He said he most resented people who stayed silent or condemned him despite knowing about circumstances similar to his own. He extended that criticism to opponents of Marine Le Pen, describing the court decision that convicted her as “totally unfair.”

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Chirac had quite strong opinions about people based on their appearance. It was sometimes a little superficial.

Fillon was definitively sentenced on appeal in the parliamentary-assistant case to four years in prison suspended and five years of ineligibility. He also lost his Legion of Honour for 10 years. He nevertheless continues to insist that he is innocent.

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There was no fictitious job.

“There was no fictitious job,” Fillon said, defending his wife’s role in his parliamentary work. He said she represented him, received visitors, handled correspondence and attended former students’ gatherings in his place. He argued that employing a spouse had been common in parliament when he was first elected in 1981, and that he had failed to recognize when an accepted practice had changed.

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The fact that your wife is involved in your parliamentary work, represents you, receives people, handles your correspondence and attends former students’ dinners in your place... It is an absolutely fundamental collaboration.