TV host in Argentina quits after falsely reporting that Lionel Messi’s dad died

A TV host in Argentina resigned from her role on a popular streaming show after falsely reporting that Lionel Messi’s father had died amid his son’s run in the World Cup, an error she later blamed on unverified information fed to her through an earpiece. Florencia Peña, the now-former host of “El Show del Verano” on Luzu TV, announced her exit Thursday on social media. “I accept that I am partly to blame for this mistake, and that is why I decided to step aside and end my participation on Luzu,” Peña wrote on X in Spanish. “I offer my heartfelt apologies—I was wrong.” According to Peña, a producer relayed the false information to her through an earpiece during a live broadcast. She trusted the information and repeated it on air. “I apologize to the Messi family for the terrible ordeal I can only imagine they are going through. I am deeply ashamed to have been the source of this pain,” Peña added. The Messi family shared a statement Thursday clarifying that Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, “is currently dealing with a health issue.” “He is presently under medical supervision, recovering, and showing favorable progress given his condition,” the statement read. In response to the rumors that began circulating online about the state of Jorge Messi, the family said that “only his immediate family possesses accurate and reliable information regarding Jorge’s condition. Therefore, any account, statement, or information not originating from the family itself or its official channels should not be considered valid or truthful.” The Messi family also expressed its “deep distress regarding the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples shown by some individuals in handling a strictly private family matter.” Nicolás Occhiato, founder and general producer of Luzu TV, said Thursday that management at the streaming channel “decided to terminate the employment of all those responsible” for airing false information about the Messi family. “We at Luzu TV deeply regret what happened on the air during the program ‘El Show del Verano.’ Our channel considers it unacceptable to broadcast sensitive information without proper prior verification,” Occhiato said in Spanish on X. “We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, respectful, and rigorous journalism.” Occhiato did not say how many people were terminated. The ordeal began days after Messi scored his first World Cup hat trick for Argentina during a match against Algeria on Tuesday. The hat trick moved Messi into a tie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the World Cup career scoring record with 16 goals. Messi’s next World Cup game with Argentina is on Monday at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, Texas, against Austria.