The ultra-Kirchnerist actress and host Florencia Peña sparked a strong controversy after announcing live the supposed death of Jorge Messi, father of Lionel Messi, a piece of information that turned out to be false and generated immediate backlash on social media.
The episode occurred during a broadcast on Luzu TV, where Peña interrupted the program's dynamics to communicate news that had no official confirmation.
"I don't want to give bad news, but Messi's dad just died. Was it something sudden? What information is there? In the middle of the World Cup! He will have to leave,” she expressed on air, surprising both her colleagues and the audience.
However, there is no confirmation regarding the death of Jorge Messi, although there had been reports about a delicate state of health.
The dissemination of unverified information provoked an immediate reaction on social media, where hundreds of users questioned the host's responsibility and the lightness with which a topic of extreme sensitivity was handled.
Within minutes, the episode escalated and became a trend, with criticisms focused on the lack of journalistic rigor on a widely-reaching platform. The situation forced a quick on-air rectification.
“It was fake… We apologize,” Florencia Peña acknowledged minutes later, admitting that the information was incorrect. The host sought to defuse the controversy generated by her initial statements, although she did not succeed.
Florencia Peña
For its part, the production team of Luzu TV also publicly expressed regret over what happened and offered apologies for the dissemination of erroneous information during the live broadcast.
During the afternoon, Messi's family issued an official statement to clarify the health situation of the father, categorically denying false reports about his death.
Through the footballer's press team, the close circle confirmed that Jorge is facing a health issue but is "under medical supervision, recovering, and evolving favorably", and strongly criticized the spread of false news.
Jorge Messi, father of Lionel Messi, is a key figure in the Argentine captain's career, so any information related to his health tends to generate significant repercussions.
