The case began on Friday night (4), when GH and friends found João Victor near Cidade do Rock. The approach was broadcast live on the Kick platform, a competitor to Twitch, and excerpts began to circulate on social media.
João Victor claimed to have been a victim of homophobia. In a first reaction, GH apologized if he had made a mistake. Later, however, the streamer returned to the subject, denied having been homophobic and said that, in his opinion, the actor had been racist when he stated that he was afraid of being robbed during the approach.
See the main videos below and understand the sequence of the case.
1. The approach around Rock in Rio
Moment of GH and friends’ approach to actor João Victor Gonçalves — Photo: Reproduction/Kick
In the live broadcast (see at the beginning of the report), GH appears accompanied by friends while walking around Cidade do Rock. The group meets João Victor and starts to comment on the actor's appearance and clothes.
"W..., what is this. Horrible guy. Guy put a tomato in", they say during the broadcast.
The group still appears following João Victor for a few seconds. At that time, it is unclear whether GH and his friends knew that the man approached was an actor. Intimidated, the actor seems to speed up to leave soon.
The excerpt was later cut from the broadcast and published on social media, where it began to circulate accompanied by criticism of the approach.
2. João Victor says he suffered homophobia
After the repercussion of the images, João Victor spoke out on social media. In an emotional video, he classified the episode as homophobia and stated that those involved would not go unpunished.
"We are stronger than anything... We will not go unpunished, homophobia is a crime. This is a portrait. My fear of being robbed was greater. Homophobia is not entertainment", he stated.
The actor also drew a parallel between the episode and the story of Mau Mau, the character he plays in “Quem Ama Cuida”.
In the soap opera, Mau Mau is a young man in the process of discovering his own sexuality who faces homophobia at home, mainly in his relationship with his grandfather, Otoniel, played by Tony Ramos.
"Mau Mau is a strong, brave character, who faces this structural homophobia that lives at home in a very courageous way. He swallows and carries on", wrote João Victor.
3. In the first reaction, GH apologizes: ‘I was wrong’
After the video went viral, GH published a first statement about the episode. The streamer stated that he usually broadcasts with unusual approaches and situations on the streets and said that the excerpt shared on social media had been taken out of context.
At the time, he stated that he had made a mistake with the approach and apologized if he had made a mistake.
"I was on live here, bro, and I was doing a lot of entertainment in the middle of the street, like crazy and crazy. I was doing entertainment with a guy who was passing by on the street and I got hurt. Do you know why? They clipped it, posted it on Twitter and I'm getting a lot of hate. If I made a mistake, I apologize because we are human beings and we make mistakes", he said.
4. In a new video, GH denies homophobia and accuses the actor of racism
Hours later, GH spoke about the episode again and raised the tone. In a new video, the streamer denied having made any reference to João Victor's sexual orientation, maintained criticism of the actor's clothing and said that he should also recant.
"I have no prejudice against you. [...] My opinion will continue to be the same. I didn't like your pants", he stated.
GH said he lives in a community and said he was not used to seeing people wearing that type of clothing.
"Where I live, bro, it's within a community. It's very difficult for us to see styles like that. So, when I saw them, I was perplexed, I was amazed, I actually laughed. And that will continue to be my opinion", he said.
Subsequently, the streamer denied that the comments were motivated by the actor's sexual orientation.
"At no time was I homophobic towards you. Did I refer to your sexual orientation?", he asked.
GH then took up a phrase used by João Victor when reporting the episode — “my fear of being robbed was greater” — and accused the actor of racism.
"You also have to recant. If I was homophobic to your followers, to my followers and to me, you were racist. Do you know why? How am I going to rob you, brother, at an event where there was a lot of security? [...] You said you were afraid of being robbed. Why were you afraid of being robbed? Because of my color? Is it because I'm black?", he stated.
In the same video, GH apologized again for recording João Victor if the actor felt offended, but stated that he would not change his opinion about the outfit.
"I'm not going to change my opinion, brother. I didn't like your pants, I'm still laughing. I thought it was very funny. [...] If you were offended, I was wrong to have recorded you, but my opinion about the pants is the same. [...] If you were offended, I'm apologizing here with an open heart", he said.
The streamer also stated that he and his family began to receive attacks after the repercussions of the case.
5. Investigation
The repercussions of the episode reached the Rio Civil Police and the Public Ministry (MPRJ).
At the police level, the case will be investigated by the Racial Crimes and Intolerance Offenses Office (Decradi) even without the actor having registered a complaint.
"There was no record of an incident with these characteristics at the police station in the area. The Police Station for Racial Crimes and Intolerance Offenses (Decradi), however, upon becoming aware of the facts, opened an investigation. The Civil Police advises that all cases be registered so that they can be investigated individually and so that the perpetrators can be identified and held criminally responsible", says the police note.
The PRJ received an anonymous ombudsman that will be investigated by a public prosecutor.
In a statement, Rock in Rio said that it "repudiates any form of violence, harassment, discrimination or prejudice and has a private security team to operate within the festival, while public areas have security guaranteed by the competent bodies."
See the rest of the official festival note below.
'The case of harassment that occurred with actor João Victor Gonçalves occurred beyond the security perimeter areas covered by the festival. The organization advises the public to use the event's official transport, such as BRT, which drops passengers closer to the entrances. Rock in Rio reinforces that harassing conduct is incompatible with the values of the festival, which is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful environment for all people within the City of Rock.
This commitment translates into permanent actions to raise awareness, prevent and combat any form of discrimination or violence, reinforcing that respect is a non-negotiable value. Cidade do Rock has a Plurality area, which works to make the festival increasingly diverse, inclusive, equitable and welcoming, promoting representation both among its collaborators and the public.
We believe that Rock in Rio is a space for meeting, respect and coexistence. Therefore, we have adopted a series of preventive measures to promote a safe, diverse and welcoming environment for all people, reinforcing that any form of discrimination is incompatible with the festival's values.
The actions include awareness and communication campaigns throughout Cidade do Rock, educational content, training of operational teams to identify and address situations of discrimination, in addition to providing reception channels for those who suffer or witness cases of racism, LGBTphobia, xenophobia, religious intolerance, ableism, ageism, fatphobia or any other form of violence or prejudice.'
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