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Footballer Jorginho Frello has walked back his viral accusations against Chappell Roan, saying the controversy that sparked a wave of online backlash against the pop star was 鈥渦ltimately a misunderstanding鈥�.

The saga began last month during Lollapalooza in S茫o Paulo, where Roan was performing and staying at the same hotel as Frello鈥檚 family. According to Frello鈥檚 initial social media posts, his 11-year-old stepdaughter became 鈥渆xtremely shaken鈥� and 鈥渃ried a lot鈥� after being confronted by a security guard who accused her of harassing the singer. Frello’s post stated that his stepdaughter only smiled at Roan during breakfast.

At the time, Frello publicly criticised Roan, suggesting the treatment of his daughter was 鈥渃ompletely disproportionate鈥� and disappointing coming from an artist whose career is built on fan support.

The claims quickly went viral, with Roan facing swift and furious scrutiny online 鈥� including accusations that she 鈥渉ates children鈥� and mistreats fans.

However, in a new statement posted this week 鈥� nearly a month after the incident, Frello said his original comments were based on a “misunderstanding”.

鈥淚t was, ultimately, a misunderstanding in that respect, and I am glad to set the record straight. It鈥檚 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.

鈥淚 will always stand up for my family. But I also know how to recognise when things were not quite what they seemed at first.”

Roan had consistently denied any involvement, previously stating that the guard was 鈥渘ot my personal security鈥� and that she had no awareness of the interaction at the time.

It has been confirmed that the security guard involved was actually working independently for another individual at the hotel. The guard later took responsibility for the interaction, further distancing Roan from the incident.

Frello also revealed that Roan reached out privately to his family following the incident.

鈥淭hank you for the support we received during this sensitive moment,” Frello continued in his statement.”I do, however, want to make one thing very clear: I do not support or encourage hate speech or online attacks from any side. Respect, empathy, and humility are values I carry and teach my family every single day.

鈥淎s far as I am concerned, this matter is closed.鈥�

“Closed” for him, but the nuclear fallout won’t wash off for Roan

While the clarification brings some resolution, the speed and intensity of the backlash Roan faced is harder to unwind 鈥� it’s impossible to put that shitload of toothpaste back in the tube.

After Frello’s post, the singer became the target of widespread criticism and abuse 鈥� a familiar pattern where women in the public eye are judged swiftly and harshly, with no confirmations or facts needed.

Meanwhile, Frello鈥檚 reversal has largely been met with understanding 鈥� even praise. But what he claims was a ‘misunderstanding’, actually wasn’t 鈥� it was a man yelling for attention without bothering to find out all the information first, and not caring about what the fallout would look like for the other patrties involved.

It鈥檚 a dynamic that continues to play out across celebrity culture: men are often afforded space to speak without knowing all the facts, and then space to correct the record, or afforded the benefit of the doubt in general, while women are forced to cop fallouts they didn’t even deserve in the first place 鈥� and assumptions about their person they can never fully shake off.

If you look at Roan’s social media pages, you’ll till find non-stop comments from people accusing her of hating and being horrible to her fans, paired with plenty of offensive words for women 鈥� her pages looked nothing like that before this incident went viral.

In this case, Roan has been publicly cleared, but not before the damage was already done 鈥� and sadly, the internet is forever.