Richarlison Accuses Flávio Bolsonaro of Taking His Private Island Without Payment
Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has accused Brazilian senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro of taking possession of his private island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro without paying for it.
The 29-year-old Brazil international made the allegation in a video shared on social media, claiming that Bolsonaro and his associates took control of the luxury property after he refused to sell it to the politician.
According to Richarlison, he acquired the property between 2020 and 2021 and invested approximately 10 million Brazilian reals, estimated at £1.4 million, in the estate.
The footballer alleged that the dispute escalated after he declined to sell the island to Bolsonaro.
“I did not want to sell him the island,” Richarlison said in the video.
He further claimed that Bolsonaro and a man identified as Willer Tomaz used court proceedings to take possession of the property within 24 hours.
“Since I refused, these people took advantage of the situation in court. Flávio Bolsonaro and this man, Willer Tomaz, went there and took possession of the island in 24 hours. That is where the justice system failed,” he alleged.
Richarlison added that, to his knowledge, no payment had been made for the property, despite the substantial amount he said he had invested.
The Tottenham forward has called on Brazil’s Federal Police to investigate the matter and help him recover his financial investment. He also said he intends to donate part of any recovered funds to a hospital in his hometown.
Reacting to the allegations on social media, Bolsonaro dismissed them as “fake news.”
Richarlison subsequently challenged the senator’s response, asking: “And my island?”
The dispute has drawn attention amid Brazil’s presidential election campaign, with Bolsonaro seeking the country’s highest political office.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the available account does not establish the legal circumstances surrounding the reported transfer of the property.
