The latest issue of Weekend Magazine (published on May 13th) features a shocking interview with Chimène van Oosterhout. Recently, her former Luv' colleague, Marga Scheide, took everybody by surprise when she told De Telegraaf that she would join Piv Huvluv's Vinylvreter tour in autumn through Flanders, Belgium (see news posted on April 30th, 2020).
Chimène (who had been jobless since March due to the Covid-19) had not been informed about Marga's plan. Here's an English translation of her interview.
Weekend: How are you?
Chimène: I've been jobless for seven weeks and it's going to be like this probably until September. It was as if I took a sabbatical year. I have a buffer so I can hold out for a year. I have my son, my horse and my dog. I'm also writing a book. I want to bring humour to our dark lives.
Weekend: Whenever you can, are you also going to perform on stage like Marga Scheide?
Chimène: Yes maybe. But we will have to consider a new way to perform including social distancing.
Weekend: Are you going to sing with Marga?
Chimène: No I'm not going to sing with Marga. I won't do it under the Luv' moniker because José Hoebee doesn't want to go on and Marga doesn't want a replacement. So I have to give it up.
Weekend: How were José and you informed about the fact that Marga wanted to go on solo?
Chimène: We were supposed to go on tour this year through Belgium (see news posted on March 17th, 2020). 75 performances were planned but due to José's illness and later the coronavirus, this plan was cancelled. José and I were informed about Marga's solo project by our management. That's the way things are in our world.
Weekend: So Marga didn't call you?
Chimène: No. We received an email from the management.
Weekend: Why was Marga approached to go on tour on her own all of a sudden?
Chimène: I don't understand it either. They didn't contact me. The only thing José and I heard last month was that Marga was approached by the organizers because she had been active in Luv' for 43 years. She will be singing Bob Dylan songs. It was a surprise when I first heard it. I don't understand the connection between Luv' and Bob Dylan but this is their choice.
Weekend: Why didn't you ask Marga to give you an explanation?
Chimène: I haven't talked to her for three months. It's her decision. To be honest I'm not interested. I haven't been approached. So I don't need an explanation, right?
Weekend: Are you still in touch with José?
Chimène: Yes we call each other and I try to motivate her. José is a sweetheart and a good person. I think she needs help. She is in a difficult situation. Covid-19 patients are now a priority for doctors. A lot of medical services are closed so José cannot be helped at the moment. It's a tough moment for her.
Weekend: What's José's opinion on Marga going solo?
Chimène: José is busy with other things right now, including her health. She is not well but she accepts Marga's plans. According to me, they rarely talk about her health on WhatsApp.
Weekend: It seems Marga and you aren't friends anymore.
Chimène: We used to call each other more often due to our business with Luv'. We clicked so it was OK. Sometimes I visited her to rehearse at her home. But now Luv' is over we don't have to do it anymore.
Weekend: Do you believe in the story of Marga and the management?
Chimène: There's no business like show business. It's every man for himself. I'm not naive. I've experienced a lot of bad things in the past. There are a lot of hypocrites in this world. But I wasn't there during the negotiations for this solo tour.
Weekend: Marga could have asked you to join her for this tour. It would have been nice of her, don't you think?
Chimène: Marga doesn't owe me anything since Luv's break-up. It's her choice and her decision. What is good in showbiz? I always consider other people and I am fair. That's my motto. I am one of the few who is like this. I can look at myself in the mirror. A lot of people in this business can't do it.
Weekend: Patty Brard and Ria Thielsch left the group to their great disappointment. What about you?
Chimène: The way they did it is not my way. It's Marga's action and reaction. Everybody does their own thing.
Weekend: Ria said Marga was not fair when she left (see news posted on December 6th, 2019). What do you think about it now that she goes solo?
Chimène: Let's put it this way, call Marga and ask her what her intention was to go solo. I don't know why she did it. Anything I say may be used against me. I don't want it. There's already so much negativity in this world. But I understand Ria Thielsch's frustration. But if I tell my version of the story and express my point of view, I prefer to do it in my book.
Here's how Marga Scheide reacted to Chimène's comments:
"The tour with Luv' was already sold to theaters. A solution had to be found after the group's interruption. The organizers got in touch with me. They wanted Marga of Luv'. I didn't call Chimène and José. That's what the management is for. It's a business matter. It has nothing to do with Luv' anymore. Why should I call everybody to tell how I am now that the group is disbanded? I don't have to apologize for anything now that there is no group anymore. If Chimène was not happy with it, she should have called me. But I didn't hear anything. Then it's too late to express your dissatisfaction. During our time with Luv', we were colleagues who were friendly with each other. Now everybody goes their own way.
Click on the images to enlarge them:
Update May 23rd, 2020:
On May 22nd, SBS6's entertainment news program Shownieuws (395.000 viewers/market share: 10.2%) featured an interview with Chimène.
"Before José's burnout, we were supposed to go on tour through Belgium with a Flemish comedian," she explained.
A replacement for José was out of the question. "We didn't want to relaunch Luv' for the third time. José is Luv'. When you see José, you think about Luv'," she said.
Chimène confirmed the fact that she was still in contact with José. She later found out that the bookings for Belgium were not cancelled. "Then the management informed us that Marga would go solo on tour through Belgium. With the comedian," she told.
"We should make our farewells. Will we meet after the coronavirus? On June 1st, the restaurants reopen. So we can greet with a 1.5-meter distance," Chimène adds ironically.
Click here to read an article about this issue posted on De Telegraaf's website.
Source: Weekend, Shownieuws, De Telegraaf
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