Between tears, Flor Peña apologized again and decided to leave LUZU TV

Florencia Peña has issued apologies after broadcasting false information regarding the health of Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi's father, on the LUZU TV program "El show del verano."

Peña, who is also a host on the channel, explained that she received the incorrect news via an earpiece from the production team while on air. She stated she was "mortified" and that it was the first time such an incident had occurred. "I was on air. I don't have a phone or computer; I had no idea what was happening. The production told me 'this is happening'... I repeated it, and at the moment they told me, 'Oh, wait, wait, it's not checked.' I'm trembling," she told a reporter from LAM.

She emphasized that the responsibility lies with the production, not with her personally. "The issue is with the production," she insisted, adding that she had asked for no reprisals against her colleagues. Peña reiterated her apologies, stating she is "trembling" and that those responsible are speaking with the company. She acknowledged the gravity of the mistake and expressed a desire for no one to lose their job but stressed that someone must be held accountable.

Peña mentioned speaking with Nicolás Occhiato, the owner of LUZU TV, who is currently covering the 2026 World Cup for his channel. She described Occhiato as understanding and "very hurt" by the situation, but maintained that whoever provided the information as fact must take responsibility. "I read yesterday that he was sick, so when they told me that, I had no reason not to believe a producer who was talking to me through the earpiece. It didn't occur to me to think it wasn't true. I apologize, and we'll see how it's handled internally," she added.