Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder has had a remarkable footballing career but now finds himself in the news for an off-the-field incident.
Now the 34 year-old is now playing in Brazil, playing for Flamengo since the summer of 2025. He has won the Copa Libertadores, Brazilian Serie A in 2025, and started 2026 winning the Carioca title. Outside of this on-the-field success, Jorginho is disheartened by a recent incident involving his family.
Recently, the Italian posted an Instagram story involving Chappell Roan, a famous American singer-songwriter, currently on tour in south America. Jorginho mentions that his daughter, a big fan of the artist, was taken aback by an altercation with Chappell Roan’s security guard.
Jorginho said:
“I went through a very upsetting situation with my family earlier today. My wife is in Sao Paolo for Lollapalooza. My daughter woke up extremely excited for an artist she now used to admire, Chappell Roan.
By coincidence, they’re staying in the same hotel as this artist. During breakfast, the artist walked past her[Chappell Roan] table. My daughter, like any child, recognized her. The worst part is she[Jorginho’s daughter] didn’t even approach her. She simply walked past the singer’s table, smiled, and went back to sit with her mom. She didn’t say anything, nor ask for anything.“
Jorginho then discussed the exact moment when everything went south.
“A large security guard came over to their table while they[Jorginho’s family] still were having breakfast and began speaking in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and daughter, saying she shouldn’t allow my daughter to “disrespect” or “harass” other people. He[security guard] even said he would file a complaint against them with the hotel, while my 11 year-old daughter was sitting there in tears. My daughter was extremely shaken. I’ve lived with football, public exposure, and well-known people for many years, and I understand very well what respect and boundaries are. What happened there was not that. It was a child admiring someone.”
His final message said,
“Chappell Roan, without your fans, you would be nothing. And to the fans, she does not deserve your affection.”
Chappell Roan unusually thanked her security in the aforementioned concert, Sao Paolo Lollapalooza, after Jorginho’s post on Instagram went public.
The fan reactions involve defense of both sides. As there isn’t definitive proof of this case, but also seems unlikely Jorginho would make it up.
Football twitter were reminded of a similar incident involving Barcelona player Raphinha in 2025, who was on a family trip to Disney Land, where a squirrel-based mascot hugged Raphinha’s son aggressively, which he took offence to, later went online and stated:
“Nasty squirrel, you can’t do this with a child. If I’m in this Disney[Land], the next day’s newspaper will say that I have caught that damn squirrel.”
-Raphinha
Another controversial point in the online discourse is that, Jorginho’s step daughter, coincidentally happens to be famous English actor Jude Law’s biological daughter. The acclaimed actor’s family is extremely involved with footballers, as Jude’s elder daughter Iris Law was briefly dating Trent Alexander Arnold in middle of 2024.
The most important response amongst all have been from the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Cavaliere. He not only won’t allow Chappell Roan to ever perform under his jurisdiction, but gave free tickets to Jorginho’s family for a concert to famous singer Shakira, one of Roan’s competitors. Jorginho responded kindly online.
Chappell Roan is especially a very easy target for football fans. Her on-stage personality is extremely catered to members of the LGBT community, with a drag-aesthetic to her look. Although it is to be said that an extremely small minority have “attacked” her on that aspect. Based on that, it’s understandable why security were keen to react on any action they thought was harassment.
Chappell Roan has come out publicly on the issue on her socials, stating:
“The security guard in question is not my personal security. I didn’t even see a woman and a child, no one bothered me. I was just sitting at breakfast in my hotel. I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child. They[Jorginho’s family] didn’t come up to me, they didn’t do anything. It’s unfair for security to assume someone doesn’t have good intentions.”
She later addressed the main issue of the drama, further adding:
“I do not hate people who are fans of my music. That is crazy, I’m sorry to the mother and child that someone was assuming that you were doing something and that if you felt uncomfortable, you did not deserve that.”
Although she hasn’t addressed Jorginho directly, she has apologized to Jorginho’s wife and their daughter who were present for the incident. She also didn’t address why, at that very show she needed to thank her security for their work, although that just seems to be an unfortunate coincidence.
