Brazilian actress Luana Piovani has been sentenced to community service in São Paulo after a court ruled her social media posts against football star Neymar constituted a personal attack on his honor.
The decision was delivered on Wednesday, October 15, by Judge Rodrigo Valente. Piovani was found guilty of “qualified insult,” though she was acquitted of defamation charges.
The court initially imposed a sentence of four months and 15 days of detention under an open regime. This was subsequently converted into mandatory community service.
Piovani, who currently resides in Portugal, is now required to perform weekly shifts of at least eight hours a day at a public or social institution.
Judge Valente stated that Piovani’s declarations were a “personal attack” on Neymar, harming his and his family’s reputation.
The legal action originated from a series of social media posts made by the actress in May 2024. In these posts, Piovani strongly criticized Neymar concerning his real estate development projects in the Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Alagoas.
She accused the athlete of a lack of environmental consciousness. Piovani publicly called him “mau caráter,” meaning “bad character,” and “escroto,” a derogatory term akin to “jerk” or “scumbag.”
Neymar responded to Piovani’s initial criticisms, suggesting she “should stick a shoe in her mouth with that sh*t talk.”
Piovani, undeterred, escalated her criticism. She retorted by referencing Neymar’s alleged infidelity during a partner’s pregnancy, arguing that someone who cheats three times during gestation “cannot be a good father.”
The lawsuit against Piovani was filed by Neymar. The case highlights the legal boundaries around public criticism, even between celebrities, when it extends to personal attacks.