Neymar Jnr’s personal chef is thought to be suing the Brazilian superstar after she was made to work well past her agreed-upon hours, and allegedly suffered physical injuries preparing and serving food for the player and his friends.
The 34-year-old returned to his home country last year after his blockbuster move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal curtailed by a significant hamstring injury.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star has made his base in Rio de Janeiro’s Mangaratiba municipality, where Neymar owns two luxury villas.
It was at his main residence there, Casa Hotel Portobello, that the chef worked for Neymar between July 2025 to this February – but what at first seemed like a straightforward role is thought to have turned into a job that has harmed the woman’s health, according to a lawsuit filed at the Regional Labor Court of the 1st Region.
As per Brazilian outlet Metropoles, who claim to have seen her court documents, the chef is said to have worked 16-hour days for Neymar, feeding both the player and up to 150 of his friends and associates daily.
While the initial contract was based on working between 7am and 5pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and 7am and 4pm on Fridays, the chef has claimed that she often worked until 11pm or midnight, and on weekends.
She is also thought to have worked through her legally mandated lunch hour.
The cook is also said to have sustained physical injury from the intense demands of her job, such as carrying pieces of meat weighing roughly 10 kilos each, loading and unloading heavy supermarket bags, and standing up during her elongated workday.
As a result, the worker is said to have suffered back problems and hip inflammation.
The chef, who was paid £1,065 per month (7,500 Brazilian reais), is seeking £37,544 (262,000 Brazilian reais) to account for severance payments, fines, additional overtime and payment for breaks, damages, and her medical expenses.
As well as Neymar, her third-party employer who hired her on behalf of the former Barcelona prodigy is also named as a defendant.
Neymar, who signed a deal extension with Santos last June, is thought to have made £11.8million over the 2025-26 season after receiving a lucrative new contract which gives him a share of sponsorships and investments generated by his return to his boyhood side.
The Brazil international, who is in the thick of making his case for inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, declined to comment to Brazilian outlets.
