Jorginho withdraws criticism of Chappell Roan

Jorginho Withdraws Criticism of Chappell Roan

Professional footballer Jorginho has clarified that pop singer Chappell Roan was not involved in an event where a security guard upset his daughter during a breakfast meeting at a hotel in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The 34-year-old Italy international initially accused Roan’s team of causing emotional distress to his wife, Catherine Harding, and their child, Ada, but has since retracted his claims.

Jorginho, who plays for Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro, possesses dual Brazilian citizenship. His career highlights include European Championship glory with Italy and victories in the Champions League and Europa League with Chelsea. Meanwhile, Chappell Roan secured the BBC’s Sound of 2025 title, along with a Grammy and two Brit Awards during the same year.

Clarification on the Incident

Earlier this month, Jorginho posted on Instagram, asserting that a representative from Roan’s team had approached his family during their breakfast at the hotel. However, he has now stated that the security guard involved was not affiliated with Roan and that the situation has been resolved.

“Chappell Roan made a public statement, reached out privately to Catherine, and our teams also spoke directly,” Jorginho said. “It became clear that she had no knowledge of what took place at breakfast and had not asked anyone to approach them. She was understanding and sympathetic to what happened to our child.”

Jorginho emphasized that the security guard had “confirmed publicly that he was representing another artist at the hotel at the time.” He added, “While we still do not know what prompted him [the security guard] to approach them, and do not believe an 11-year-old could reasonably be seen as any kind of security threat, it is now clear he was not acting on behalf of Chappell.”

Media Reaction and Public Statements

The event sparked widespread coverage in Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, suggesting a potential ban on Roan from performing in the city. Jorginho also addressed the controversy, stating he does not “support or encourage hate speech or online attacks from any side.”

Jorginho’s Instagram post, which was shared externally, reiterated that the situation “did occur as described” and that his family “acted on information available to us.” He expressed regret for the impact on Roan, Harding, Ada, and his own family, while acknowledging the need to correct initial misunderstandings.