Italian soccer star Jorginho has issued a formal backtracking on his criticism of pop sensation Chappell Roan following a viral hotel incident in Brazil.
The 34-year-old had previously blasted the singer on social media after a security guard allegedly reduced his 11-year-old stepdaughter to tears.
The row began when Jorginho’s stepdaughter Ada Law, who is Jude Law’s daughter, recognised Roan during breakfast at a luxury Sao Paulo hotel and was reportedly confronted in an ‘extremely aggressive’ manner.
However, after intense media scrutiny and a direct response from Roan’s team, the footballer has confirmed that the guard involved was not actually employed by the singer.
Confirming the matter is now closed, Jorginho shared a lengthy statement on Instagram on Monday to clear Roan of any involvement in the confrontation.
‘Chappell Roan made a public statement, reached out private to Catherine, and our teams also spoke directly,’ said Jorginho.
‘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.
‘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.
‘It was, ultimately, a misunderstanding in that respect, and I am glad to set the record straight. It is important to me that this is clarified fairly and accurately. I regret the impact that this situation has had on Chappell Roan, Catherine, Ada and our family.
‘I will always stand up for my family. But I also know how to recognise when things were not quite what they seemed at first.’
Roan was spotted at Coachella this Saturday, marking her first public sighting since her security guard scandal last month in Brazil.
Her appearance came after the bodyguard in question, Pascal Duvier, broke his silence over the drama that had left young Ada Law in tears.
Four days after the fracas, he posted to Instagram: ‘I take full responsibility for the interactions on March 21st. I was at the hotel on behalf of another individual, and I was not part of the personal security team of Chappell Roan.
‘The actions I took were not on behalf of Chappell Roan, her personal security team, her management, or any other individuals,’ Duvier clarified.
‘I made a judgment call based on information we obtained from the hotel, events I had witnessed in the days prior and the heightened overall security risk of our location.’
Duvier wrapped up his statement writing, ‘My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful.’
Duvier previously worked for Kim Kardashian but was reportedly fired after she was robbed in Paris in 2016.
Roan has denied having any knowledge of an interaction between her staff and Ada, who was staying with her mother Catherine Harding and stepfather, Brazilian soccer star Jorginho Frello, at the same hotel as the Grammy winner.
‘She did not direct her personal security or anyone on her team to interact with them,’ Roan’s spokesman has said.
Ada and her mother had been planning to attend Roan’s performance at the Lollapalooza music festival.
