Argentinian TV Host Fired After False Report of Messi's Father’s Death

Argentinian presenter and actress Flor Peña apologized in tears and announced she was leaving Luzu TV after falsely reporting live that Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, had died. The mistake happened during the streaming show "El Show del Verano," when Peña read a claim from the production team over her earpiece and repeated it on air before quickly correcting herself once it became clear the report was fake.

The false report triggered a major backlash in Argentina. Messi’s family issued a formal clarification saying Jorge Messi was alive and stable, while Luzu TV founder Nicolás Occhiato called the incident an "unacceptable mistake." The channel then said that spreading sensitive information without prior verification was unacceptable and announced that everyone responsible would be fired, while Peña would "step aside." President Javier Milei also weighed in, writing, "Whoever messes with Messi, messes with all of us."

Speaking to reporters after the uproar, Peña said, "This is the first time something like this has happened to me. I’m sorry. I was on air, they told me in my earpiece to pass on the information, I was shocked. I don’t have a phone or computer during the broadcast, I trusted what I was told." She added that she did not want the production team to carry all the blame, but admitted it was a "serious mistake that hurt people."