Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s spokesman on Thursday denied Trudeau had “negative interactions” at a 2000 music festival when an editorial resurfaced accusing Trudeau of sexual harassment at the event.
Trudeau’s press secretary Matt Pascuzzo said in a statement to BuzzFeed News that Trudeau has always respected women and that he “doesn’t think he had any negative interactions” at a music festival in Creston, British Columbia.
{mosads}The allegation was first published in an editorial by the Creston Valley Advance in August 2000.
Trudeau was accused of groping one of the publication’s reporters, in an editorial that includes a reported apology from Trudeau.
“I’m sorry. If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward,” he reportedly said at the time.
Trudeau was a 28-year-old at the time and best known for being the son of former liberal Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
The editorial, which has been resurfaced semi-frequently over the past 18 years, was brought to light most recently by conservative news outlet Breitbart on Thursday.