Jorginho withdraws criticism of Chappell Roan

Jorginho withdraws criticism of Chappell Roan

Clarifying the Incident at Sao Paulo Hotel

Jorginho, a former Chelsea and Arsenal player, has issued a statement retracting his earlier claims about an incident involving a security guard and his daughter. The midfielder, who holds dual Brazilian citizenship and currently plays for Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro, clarified that the situation was not connected to Chappell Roan. Roan, who won the BBC’s Sound of 2025 poll and took home a Grammy and two Brit Awards in 2025, had previously been accused of involving her team in a confrontation during breakfast at a Sao Paulo hotel.

Earlier this month, Jorginho alleged that an employee from Roan’s team had approached his wife Catherine Harding and their daughter Ada at the hotel. The 11-year-old child had recognized the singer, leading to the interaction. Roan responded, expressing sympathy for the mother and child, and stated that she was unaware of the event. “Sad for the mother and child who did not deserve that,” she said, adding that the incident did not involve her personal security.

“The situation did occur as described,” Jorginho confirmed in a new Instagram post. “We acted on information that was available to us.” He noted that the security guard involved had publicly stated he was representing a different artist at the time. “Chappell Roan made a public statement, reached out privately to Catherine, and our teams also spoke directly,” he explained. “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 admitted that the security guard was not part of Roan’s team, emphasizing that the matter is now resolved. “While we still do not know what prompted him to approach them, and do not believe an 11-year-old could reasonably be seen as a security threat, it is now clear he was not acting on behalf of Chappell,” he said. The midfielder also stressed the importance of fair clarification, expressing regret over the situation’s impact on Roan, Catherine, Ada, and their family.

The incident sparked significant media coverage in Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro’s mayor Eduardo Cavaliere indicating plans to ban Roan from performing in his city. It also generated widespread attention on social media platforms. Jorginho reiterated his stance against hate speech, vowing not to support or encourage attacks from any side.