It is exactly ten years ago today that Gordon gave a controversial TV interview in which he threw René Froger under the bus, among others. Is he really such a drunkard? “A drink.”
Exactly ten years ago today, Gordon opened a cesspool in the showbiz interview of that year: in 5 Years Later, the then program of Jeroen Pauw, he went all out on René Froger, among others. “I have kept my mouth shut for all these years, but I have experienced the most horrible things with that man,” he said, for example.
‘Drunk Froger’
What did Goor experience? “He had such a huge drinking problem that he cursed everything and everyone, everyone who crossed his path…,” he said. And: “When he drinks, he is an animal. A monster. Arrogant, self-righteous. Screaming arguments. I have experienced it myself. He once scolded me so much, it is really not normal.”
It was “terrifying,” he said. Two months before Gordon went to the Eurovision Song Contest with De Toppers, he was allegedly thrown out of his house in Marbella in the middle of the night by a drunk Froger. “I actually wanted to quit then, but with that much too big heart of mine, it turned out fine. That’s just a fact.”
Monstrous
Gerard Joling stayed with De Toppers for the money, Gordon said at the time. According to him, he and colleague Jeroen van der Boom also suffer from René. “Yes, to this day, but they play beautifully. Every time I see them on television, I think: I know exactly what it is like: monstrous.”
Jeroen was brought in by Gordon himself. “Like the Trojan horse, because he saw my legs for so long until I actually left the building. The great thing is that he is now in the same boat. He only experiences those kinds of situations with Froger. But what would you do for six tons?”
Hurtful
René did not report libel or slander. “René is not going to do that!”, his manager Benno de Leeuw said at the time. “Also, because Gordon made his statements in an opinion program. In it, everyone is free to express his or her opinion. And that is what it is: only Gordon’s opinion.”
Jeroen called the statements ‘hurtful’. “Of course we sometimes have a drink and sometimes it goes wrong. But that’s all it is. I hope there are people around him (Gordon, ed.) who take care of him. Everyone knows who said it. I shrug my shoulders.”
‘I believe him’
Private journalist Mariët Oosterwijk indicated at the time that she believed Gordon. She pointed out how harsh his statements were. “You don’t just do that and that’s why I think Gordon is right. I actually believe every word of Gordon.”
According to her, René was really such a drunkard. “I’ve had the feeling about Froger for a long time: what’s wrong with that man? Then he doesn’t show up again or another excuse comes up. I don’t have much interest in him. I always say: ‘The nicest thing about him is his wife.’”
What does Rene say?
René has never responded to it substantively, but now says so A.D that he actually lives a very healthy and sober life. “Lots of vegetables, vitamins, all quite healthy – my wife pays attention to that when cooking. Although you also make me happy with a Dutch stew with a meatball. Oh, and Natas makes delicious pulled pork.”
But what about the alcohol? “I don’t drink much dairy, it’s not good for my voice, it makes it so slimy. This also applies to alcohol. Of course I sometimes have a drink with my sons, but only if I don’t have to sing in the following days.”
And there it finally is: the denial.