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Messi's Mother Calls Fake News 'Horrible'; Peña Apologizes
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Messi's Mother Calls Fake News 'Horrible'; Peña Apologizes

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Journalist Ángel de Brito spoke with Celia Messi, Lionel Messi's mother, following a fake news scandal involving his father, Jorge.
  • Celia Messi described the situation as "horrible" and mentioned that Jorge Messi, who is hospitalized, commented, "What a mess I made."
  • Flor Peña, who was involved in spreading the false news on a streaming program, apologized for her mistake and confusion.

Argentine journalist Ángel de Brito has reported on the fallout from a fake news incident concerning Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi's father. De Brito managed to speak with Celia Cuccittini, Lionel Messi's mother, who shared her family's distress over the false reports. She described the experience as "horrible" while she and her husband, Jorge, were watching television together in the clinic where he is hospitalized.

What a mess I made.

— Jorge MessiJorge Messi's reaction to the fake news scandal, as relayed by his wife Celia.

According to de Brito, Celia Messi relayed that Jorge Messi himself commented on the situation, saying, "What a mess I made." This statement offers a measure of relief, indicating that Jorge Messi is responsive and in stable condition during his hospitalization. De Brito shared that Celia Messi also mentioned Jorge "always watches LAM with me," referring to de Brito's program, providing a personal touch to the family's current circumstances.

I ask for forgiveness from the heart. I never thought something like this would happen to me.

— Flor PeñaFlor Peña's apology for spreading false news about Jorge Messi's death.

The scandal originated from statements made by Flor Peña on a streaming program, where she mistakenly reported Jorge Messi as deceased. Peña has since issued a tearful apology, expressing deep regret for her error. She explained that she was caught off guard by the news during a live broadcast and, without proper verification, reacted with what she felt was empathy at the time. Peña stated she has tried to contact the Messi family but had not received a response until de Brito's report.

I made a mistake, I got confused.

— Flor PeñaFlor Peña explaining the circumstances surrounding her erroneous report.

Peña emphasized that she never intended to harm anyone and does not work in the sensationalist news industry. She mentioned leaving a message for Celia, whom she has met previously, offering her sincerest apologies. De Brito framed the incident as a "screw-up" but ultimately an anecdote, aiming to reassure viewers about Jorge Messi's health status while he remains hospitalized.

I left a message for Celia, whom I have met in many theaters when she came to see me. Just very heartfelt apologies for what happened, nothing more.

— Flor PeñaFlor Peña describing her attempt to apologize to Celia Messi.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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