Famed footballer Jorginho Frello is clearing up what he now knows was a “misunderstanding” after he called out pop star Chappell Roan over a security incident that left his 11-year-old daughter in tears.
The soccer star took to social media last month to lambast the “Pink Pony Club” singer while alleging that a member of her security team made his daughter cry when she and his wife, Catherine, came across Roan while staying at the same hotel in Brazil.
However, on Monday, Frello wanted to “set the record straight” and acknowledge that he knows “how to recognize when things are not quite what they seemed at first.”
Jorginho (Jorge Luiz Frello Filho) of CR Flamengo reacts during the FIFA Club World Cup football match between CR Flamengo and Chelsea FC. LightRocket via Getty Images
“I made my initial statement in the heat of the moment, after hearing that my child and wife had been approached by an adult male security guard in an intimidating way,” he wrote. “I reacted as any father would. My priority is, and always will be, protecting my family, and that is exactly what I did.
“I also want to make clear that the situation did occur as it was originally described. At the time, we acted on the information that was available to us.
“Since then, I have become aware of new information that has changed my understanding of parts of what happened. Chappell Roan made a public statement, reached out privately to Catherine, and our teams also spoke directly. It became clear that she had no knowledge of what took place at breakfast and had not asked anyone to approach them. She was understanding and sympathetic to what had happened to our child.”
In the original story on Instagram, Frello said his wife and daughter came across Roan during breakfast at the hotel, and the 11-year-old attempted to “confirm” that it was the singer, and she “smiled, and went back to sit with her mum.”
A security guard then allegedly spoke to the girl and Frello’s wife in an “extremely aggressive manner” and told them both that she shouldn’t “‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people.”
The post drew widespread attention and criticism of Roan. The pop star eventually addressed the situation in an Instagram video in late March and gave her side of the story, saying the person involved was not a part of her personal security team.
The security guard in question, Pascal Duvier, also said in a statement that he was at the hotel “on behalf of another individual” and was not a part of Roan’s security.
Chappell Roan attends the Mugler Womenswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 6, 2026 in Paris, France. Corbis via Getty Images
“While we still do not know what prompted him to approach them, and do not believe an 11-year-old at breakfast could reasonably be seen as any kind of security threat, it is now clear that he was not acting on behalf of Chappell,” Frello said in his Instagram story on Monday. “It was, ultimately, a misunderstanding in that respect, and I am glad to set the record straight. It’s important to me that this is clarified fairly and accurately. I regret the impact this situation has had on Chappell Roan, Catherine, Ada, and our family.
“I will always stand up for my family. But I also know how to recognize when things were not quite what they seemed at first.”
The update came a day after Roan made her first public appearance since the drama went down.
The 28-year-old singer was photographed at Coachella in Indio, California.