Elisabeth Rioux: Unfiltered (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

1
Hi, guys. I'm currently in Costa Rica
and I'm just about to go pick up the girls
at the airport.
And I'm beyond excited because it's
our first Hoaka girls' trip in Costa Rica,
and you guys know how much
it is my favorite country in the world.
This is our 11th Hoaka girls' trip so far.
We've been doing it for several years now.
I wanted to travel with my followers.
Most companies will travel with top models
to do photo shoots
that showcase their swimwear ranges.
However, I wanted to include my followers.
What's more, Hoaka supports diversity.
Plus, we've made this trip
very, very extra.
We've planned a lot of activities,
which I'm keeping secret now.
You'll see it throughout the week.
I also got a vintage Jeep.
It was a dream of mine
and I feel like it's gonna be
like a jungle vibe for the girls.
So, now, I don't want to be late,
so I'm just gonna rush.
And bye-bye. Love you.
ELISABETH RIOUX
UNFILTERED
TWO WEEKS EARLIER
-Hola.
-Hi.
Real quick. Have the girls already
been contacted about the Costa Rica trip?
-Yes.
-Make sure they're available for the dates
and then we need to get them here
to tell them they're going on a trip.
We don't really hire models
to promote our swimwear.
I never go to modeling agencies
to enquire about their models.
Basically, what we do is
we often hold competitions on Instagram.
We invited the girls to the Hoaka office.
They're collaborators
who do photos for us.
They think they're coming to pick up
some swimsuit sets to take new photos.
They're used to coming in to see us.
KESHA, DAPHNÉE AND TANIA
HOAKA COLLABORATORS
We have decided to invite you
on a very special trip,
which will be in Costa Rica.
It's important the mood is just right
when they meet.
We don't want anything to happen.
We want it to be safe for her
and for the girls too.
Basically,
I've already rented the villa and car,
but we also need to book the activities
and I want to make sure
we have pretty spots for the photo shoots.
I wanted to show you a list I've started
to understand your preferences and ideas.
Organizing a girls' trip
is always complicated
as trips never go perfectly.
Even when you travel on your own,
nothing ever goes totally smoothly,
so it can be really stressful.
Elisabeth is made of strong stuff.
When she went to Hawaii with the girls,
she came back ultra-burned out,
totally wiped out.
People think it's easy.
"She just travels about."
But no, it's exhausting.
Have you had a think about the girls
we interviewed the other day?
-I'll be off on maternity leave soon.
-Yeah, you can call them.
-Really? We can trial them?
-The two we said would work well together.
Let's try them working together
and we'll see.
You mean Shan and Neha, right?
From what they showed us,
they seem to have what it takes.
We'll try them out and see.
We're even prepared
to just hire someone part-time
to at least try to free up some
of Eli's time, as she's doing too much.
I've just received confirmation from Eli.
She always does things last-minute.
So, we're going into the shampoo
and hair care business.
With those new products, we will need
to consider the warehouse space too.
I'm not really surprised that Eli made
this decision without talking to us first.
-We must determine the quantities etc
-Okay.
-If you have any insights, tell me.
-Yes.
You absolutely must relay anything to me
as I need to visualize it all in advance.
I was surprised when I was
told about the hair products project.
However, at the same time,
it is a swimsuit company.
It's all about travel, pools, summer
and sunshine, so it does make sense.
What did she tell you?
Just because I wasn't informed.
Did she just say we're doing it
or did she give any info?
Just that we're going ahead
with the project.
-She didn't tell me any more than that.
-Okay. Okay.
You'll likely hear more than me
as you work closely with her.
We'll discuss it.
-It's important we're kept in the loop.
-Yeah. No problem.
I'm still fairly new to the company
and finding my footing is a challenge.
The hair products range will definitely be
my second major challenge to overcome.
Do you know when we'll receive
the samples? Have you seen what we'll get?
At the moment, I have no idea.
All I know is the project is going ahead.
We must put pressure on the right people.
-Knowing Eli, this is gonna hit us hard.
-Yes, that's for sure.
24 HOURS BEFORE LEAVING FOR COSTA RICA
My weekdays always start
by me taking Wolfie to my mom's.
Wolfie is my little ray of sunshine.
When she comes over,
she lights up the whole house.
I often take care of my daughters' kids.
They have a proper routine at our house.
Give the plants lots of water.
Wait until Mommy smells these flowers.
They smell amazing.
With a shortage of daycare centers,
I've still not found the right one for me.
With Eli's rather unpredictable schedule,
most daycares with set timetables
are out of the question for her.
-Yes? Hello?
-Hello, Mom?
-Yes.
-I saw that you called me.
I don't think Wolfie is feeling too well.
I think it's best you come and get her
as I don't want Aakash to get sick too.
-No.
-You're sick. You can't stay with Aakash.
Whenever I get a notification
on my phone saying,
"QC Scoop has sent you a message,"
my heart races
and I need to take a moment
before I can open the message.
I think, "What now?"
Québec Scoop is a gossip website,
as the name "Scoop" would suggest.
They post a lot about me
and what I'm up to.
There is always gossip
and unbelievable stories.
Can we not have peace
and quiet together as a family?
STEEVE RIOUX - VICE PRESIDENT OF HOAKA
AND ELISABETH'S FATHER
We have a right to go to a restaurant
or for a walk in peace.
I know how social networks
and the media work,
and it's all based on clicks.
That's the goal, so they always need
sensationalist articles for that.
-Do you want to read a pony story?
-Yes.
Wow. There are princesses too.
-Hello.
-Hello.
VOICE OF DOLORES
Everything okay?
Just before I called you,
I got another message from QC Scoop.
What now?
When I was in Miami,
Clau invited Rémi and I out on a yacht.
-Okay.
-There were guys there.
But, like, I didn't care. I didn't even
know they were going to be there.
Anyway, someone took a photo,
and as you know, I'm seeing someone
in Montreal, so I'm like
It's an uncomfortable situation right now,
as the guy I'm seeing
is not on social networks at all,
and it's too early for me
to go public with him,
so I don't want to tell people about it
as it's something
I've decided to keep private to me.
Did they just post it
or send you a private DM about it?
No, they wrote to me privately.
So now I feel anxious.
I need to reply, but I feel like
They're just causing drama.
The thing with gossip columns
is if you respond to the articles,
people think you're playing the victim,
lying or covering your back.
However, if you don't reply,
you can let a rumor spread.
It can be a minor thing like this, but be
blown out of proportion for no reason.
Everyone will conjure up another boyfriend
then complain that I have too many.
People often say
she changes boyfriends all the time,
that she's always with a different guy.
It's so hard knowing how to deal with it
and what the right thing to do is.
There is no right thing to do.
In fact, the Hoaka girls' trip
is an all-expenses paid trip the girls win
to a destination of our choosing.
WINNERS OF THE COSTA RICA GIRLS' TRIP
We've just landed in Costa Rica.
-It looks stunning.
-Incredible.
We've just collected our luggage
and we're so excited.
Hola.
-How are you?
-Good. How are you?
How was the trip?
-Oh, my God.
-Unreal. Hi.
It fosters a sense of community
among our followers.
It gives them opportunities
and it's our way of thanking them
for supporting us
and being part of our community.
Basically, we have lots of activities
planned, so that's really exciting.
I won't reveal the itinerary for each
day now as you'll find out as we go.
Each morning there will be surprises.
We've also got lots of gifts for you,
swimwear you've never seen.
-Nice.
-Okay.
Our goal is for our brand
to represent everyone.
Okay, it's time to reveal
the villa to the girls.
-Oh, my God.
-Oh, my God.
Hello.
How are you?
-Great. And you?
-Good. How was the trip?
Claudia and I pretty much never fight.
If we do, it's only because
we want the best for each other.
I feel like the fact Eli is dating someone
who wants nothing to do
with her life on social media
is already a red flag, in my opinion.
You've met Laurie before at the warehouse.
She's a familiar face for you.
She'll be with us for the trip.
She'll help you pick out swimsuits.
I love the competitions
where Eli takes fans on trips.
It gives fans hope they can meet her
one day. It makes that accessible.
Also, it's really fun. Not everyone gets
the chance to do that with their fans.
It's a bit like a dream come true.
Basically, right now
I'm mainly getting Laurie
to help me pick out
the designs and accessories.
She'll pick out some pretty combos
and give me some options
so I can just work from those.
That will make it way quicker
for me to look over,
and from that I'll set up a photo shoot.
So, she helps narrow down my options.
It's so exciting. Here is some swimwear
that isn't even out yet,
so you're the first ones
to see and wear it.
-We will shoot the campaign with you.
-Oh, my God.
Amazing. Thank you.
You've got your new bikinis on.
One, two, three.
The water is pretty warm.
Claudia is a really positive person.
Her energy brings people together
so I love having her at my photo shoots.
Also, I'm often behind the camera
so having at least one person there
among them
who knows what she is doing
also helps reassure the girls.
-This is Sandrine.
-Hello.
Nice to meet you.
She's the photographer who always does
our Hoaka destination photo shoots.
She's really sweet and super lovely.
The girls are all really nice.
They just arrived.
I thought we could maybe do
a photo shoot this evening.
Go.
Everyone's hot.
Okay, look this way. Yeah, that's great.
We're trying to take more action photos
for our ads.
The goal isn't just to sell swimsuits,
but also the Hoaka lifestyle.
One, two, three, go.
Everyone looks so happy.
Hoaka girls' dinner.
Cheers to you all getting here.
-Here's to your first night.
-Costa Rica.
Are you excited for tomorrow?
-Yes, majorly.
-We're going to the waterfalls tomorrow.
-Wow.
-Are you girls in relationships or single?
I've been single for six years.
Just like you.
What are you talking about?
I'm kind of in a relationship.
I don't know what to call it.
-Situationship.
-Yeah.
That's the word.
I basically started dating my partner
at age 14.
Wow.
I feel going to dinner with the girls
in a friendly, personal way
helps me to better understand
my followers and find out who they are,
so I can better understand
their needs too.
You know, as I'm a bit older now
and I've got a child,
I'm not as aware of what's going on
in my community anymore,
so events like this help bring me closer
to them.
-I had a question for you.
-Yes.
As an entrepreneur,
was it difficult for you
before you gained in popularity,
before everyone loved your company
and you started getting lots of orders?
Well, to be honest, when I started,
I didn't expect it to get this big.
When I started Hoaka, I did it on my own.
I had no choice
but to do every step of the process.
It seems when people start companies now,
they try to have different teams
for each thing, but it's key
to oversee and be involved in everything.
I was really young, but you're also young.
You can make mistakes as you still live
with your parents. It's all cool.
You don't have adult responsibilities yet,
like a family, a mortgage or whatever.
So, now is a really good time for you.
Have you ever
As you have tons of followers,
have you ever had a fan do
anything creepy or weird towards you?
Okay, there was one time
I was at home and I just went
to get Wolfie from my mom's.
I was just gone for an hour,
then I came back.
My friend came over to mine
and saw footprints in the snow in my yard,
-which isn't accessible in winter.
-Oh, my God.
She went in my room and called me, like,
"Eli, your door is open.
There's snow in the house."
-I went, "What?" The back door was open.
-What?
There was snow in my house.
It hadn't melted yet.
They didn't have time to steal anything.
If I'd got there at the same time
Oh, my God. I would have been terrified.
Weren't you scared too
because of all that stuff with your ex?
-Is that something that still scares you?
-Yeah.
I definitely considered
all of the possibilities.
Could it have been my ex?
Often prisoners are released earlier
than the set release date.
That often happens
when they show good behavior.
He wasn't granted early release.
SIX MONTHS OF PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE
FOR BRYAN MCCORMICK
The media often quoted his words saying
that in short, it was my fault
and that I was a liar.
When he got out of jail,
I was really afraid.
-Did they ever find the person?
-No.
That's terrifying.
They never found the person.
They were on a mission
and knew how to get away.
To protect myself,
I try to avoid going out at night.
When it gets dark,
if I need something from my car,
it's my worst nightmare. I always run.
Now that I have a child,
I'm even more scared.
I'm also anxious when
I post on social media.
Behind the scenes. Go for it, Eli.
I'll film my stories spontaneously,
but I'll post them around three days later
just so that my ex
or other people can't know
exactly where I am at a specific moment.
Cheers to the Hoaka girls only trip.
No toxic guys allowed.
Here's to no toxic relationships.
Bye.
-It's so hot, but this will do us good.
-Oh, my God.
-Oh, my God.
-It's so huge.
Wow. It's massive.
Oh, my God.
Hola. Hola.
It really is beautiful. Oh, my God.
When we got to the waterfall,
it was pretty busy.
When I got there I was like, "Oh, my God.
It'll be hard to take photos,"
but as long as the girls are happy,
we can sort the photos out.
The goal is to take
at least one lovely photo
of the girls striking a pose.
-You got it.
-One group shot and one of each girl.
Then after, lots of shots of them playing,
jumping and coming out of the water.
I'd say maybe sat down instead
so the bridge is visible,
but not a full-body shot.
There is a huge amount of work
and organization involved.
My brain was going
a million miles an hour.
The girls often expect to meet
the Eli they have seen online,
so an Elisabeth that's full of energy,
but she's only human.
In life, you can't
always be full of energy.
You're so beautiful.
You're really photogenic. These look fab.
The first time I met her,
she told me she wanted to be a model.
Just seeing how happy the girls are
on trips like this
and giving them
this opportunity is amazing
as often, only influencers
or supermodels get to do it.
When posting on Instagram, can it be hard
to feel happy in your own skin?
I really struggled
when I started my career.
It's tough, but by doing it,
I've learned to love myself.
I think it's important to include
all body types
and as many people as possible.
That's a really beautiful message
from Hoaka.
At the end of the day,
it takes a lot of inner work.
It's about being patient
and kind to yourself
and reminding yourself
that if we all looked alike,
there wouldn't be any beauty
in this world.
No, that's enough, thanks. Hola.
It's pretty rare for someone to interfere
with our shoots, especially like that.
I didn't even know how to react,
to be honest. It was just so strange.
-Okay. Gracias. Buen día.
-Bye.
Okay.
Okay.
No.
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Okay.
Excuse me. Thanks.
At a certain point,
I had to put my foot down.
I always want to be kind,
but at the same time,
I had to protect my girls
as I am responsible for them.
-Okay, can you go please?
-It's fine.
-Okay.
-No. No. No. Okay, thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Bye.
We were also in a foreign country
in the heart of the jungle at the falls.
That guy was acting strange.
We had no idea how far
he was going to take it.
He almost went for you
so I gave him a hard shove.
I was scared.
He was that close to your mouth.
It was a really uncomfortable situation.
Did you reply to QC Scoop
about the photo they sent you?
It's making me so anxious,
I don't even want to think about it.
In the photo, it looks like
I was talking up-close to a guy,
but I didn't get close to anyone,
any guy on that boat,
apart from Rémi, who is gay.
-Seriously, if they publish that
-Yeah, exactly.
That could ruin what you have with
The guy I'm seeing. If he sees it,
I don't know him enough
to know how he'd react
or if his family would see it
I would 100% say that in Québec
in particular, influencers are subject
to really intense prejudices.
It's a shame they don't let people
live their lives how they want,
but because Eli is in the public eye
she's a much easier target.
It's too much. For example, that article
that came out about your dogs.
That was something extremely personal
and they decided to rip your heart out
ÉLISABETH RIOUX IS LOOKING
FOR A NEW FAMILY FOR HER DOGS
AND KARINE ST-MICHEL REACTS
I've always been a mother at heart.
As soon as I turned 18, I bought a house
as I was dying to have dogs.
They were a big part of my life.
I would have never imagined having a child
would change that.
It was a situation where I was
kind of helpless. I couldn't defend myself
as I didn't want to say
I loved my dogs
from the bottom of my heart.
-I had them for fricking ages.
-Your first babies.
Yes, I had them for a long time
and they were always gentle,
but then they started behaving badly.
I was there with you from the start
when they were puppies.
They were good dogs for six years,
but if they end up being a danger
to your child,
they must be rehomed.
I didn't want to tell everyone,
"My dogs, who I love more than anything,
are dangerous for my baby."
-Yes.
-It was just
It was really emotional.
It was also the first time
that I wasn't able
to properly address it online.
ÉLISABETH RIOUX IS DESPERATELY
LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME FOR HER DOGS
I'm usually a really open person
about most things,
but when I'm going through
a hard time in life
and people decide to comment,
that's when I realize it's a lot harder.
ELISABETH RIOUX IS CRITICIZED FOR WANTING
TO GIVE HER DOGS UP FOR ADOPTION
Some people have no limits, but I do.
The haters.
If you give them what they want,
you keep fueling the fire
and it will never stop.
QC Scoop is such a pain.
Yes. I wonder if I met them in person,
would it be like
Would they be in sorry mode
trying to be full-on nice to me?
Doesn't it scare you? If you met up
with someone, they could twist your words.
In fact, the way I deal
with controversy is
by constantly reminding myself
that I know I am a good person.
I know my intentions are good.
I'm not perfect. No one is.
ONE WEEK LATER
The Hoaka haircare products line
is a huge investment for us.
I'm actually really excited
to see the new samples.
The whole visual marketing aspect
really falls within my field of expertise,
so I'm really excited to discover
what the products will be like.
We need to start from scratch.