An unusual media storm erupted in Argentina after Florencia Peña announced live on air that Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father, had died. The report quickly proved false, and Peña later apologized, took responsibility and said she was resigning from Luzu TV.
The mistake happened during the channel’s summer program, when Peña told viewers that Messi’s father had died and that the Argentina star was expected to leave the World Cup. The claim spread rapidly on social media and triggered a wave of reactions, but it soon emerged that there had been no official confirmation.
A short time later, the Messi family issued a statement saying Jorge Messi, 68, was dealing with a medical issue, but his condition was improving and he was under medical supervision. The message was meant to end days of rumors about his health.
Peña said the information had been passed to her during the broadcast by production staff as verified, and she relied on it when reading it to viewers. In a later interview, she said she did not have access to a phone or computer during the segment, so she depended on backstage information. She added that doubts about the report surfaced soon afterward, but the public damage had already been done. Luzu TV also responded sharply, saying airing sensitive information without proper verification was unacceptable, and that it had decided to part ways with everyone involved in the incident.
