Supporter filmed professionals, on Friday (13.Feb) at DF Star, and stated that they wished Bolsonaro’s death
The former first lady published on Saturday (14 March 2026) a video in which a supporter of the former president (PL), states that journalists who were in front of the DF Star hospital, in Brasília, covering the hospitalization of the former head of the Executive, were wishing for his death.
In the images it is not possible to hear any statements from the journalists. After the video went viral, 2 of the professionals filed a police report each for being intimidated. One of them had his son threatened and the other closed his social networks. A third party deprived his Instagram and was studying other measures against the case with his defense.
In the stories on her official Instagram profile, Michelle Bolsonaro published the material with the text: “Journalists gathered wishing Bolsonaro’s death and celebrating because it was Friday the 13th”.
In the recording, the influencer shouts at reporters and films an advisor’s badge. “This is shameless”says the woman in the video. Professionals ignore it.
Watch the video (2min10):
📹 Supporter claims that journalists wanted Bolsonaro dead
📲 A supporter of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), recorded, on Friday (13 March 2026), a video of a journalist covering the hospitalization of the former head of the Executive in front of the DF Star hospital, in…
— Poder360 (@Poder360)
Journalists who appeared in the images had their identities shared and were attacked. Two reporters were recognized on the street and on public transport and suffered face-to-face attacks.
Montages and videos were also produced using artificial intelligence, one of the productions simulates that one of the professionals is stabbed. Photos of journalists’ children and family members were used as an instrument of intimidation and harassment. Deputies allied with the former head of the Executive also the video.
This Sunday (15th March), Cris Mourão on his official Instagram profile about the case and wrote: “My intention is never to harm anyone, but rather to defend tooth and nail those who fight for our nation.” She congratulated one of the journalists appearing in the video, who was supposedly defending the former president.
According to her, a friend of the professional had contacted her stating that the journalist was right-wing and was talking about Bolsonaro being hospitalized due to the stab wound that the former head of the Executive received in 2018.
ENTITIES REPUDIATE
A (Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism) released a statement repudiating the video and its sharing. The entity condemns “vehemently” threats, defamation and violent exposure of journalists and their families after the release “irresponsible for a distorted video” covering the former president’s hospitalization.
The association stated that the video was shared without “any verification” and that would be “spreading lies and exposing press professionals who were simply doing their job”. Abraji classified it as “inadmissible” that parliamentarians and public figures use their influence to orchestrate defamation campaigns and incite attacks against journalists.
A (Brazilian Press Association) also spoke out this Sunday about the case: “The attitude of former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who shared a video on her social networks with attacks on journalists, causes outrage.”.
A (National Federation of Journalists) and the (Union of Professional Journalists of the Federal District) released a joint note on Saturday declaring that they were “it is unacceptable for journalists, in the exercise of their professional activity, to be surrounded and harassed at the entrance of a health unit”.
The 3 notes criticize the fact that the video was shared by deputies.
Read Abraji’s full note:
“Abraji vehemently repudiates the threats, defamation and violent exposure of journalists and their families that occurred after the irresponsible release of a distorted video during coverage of the hospitalization of former president Jair Bolsonaro, on Friday (13), at the DF Star hospital, in Brasília.
The video, produced by a Bolsonaro influencer, was amplified by far-right parliamentarians and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who shared it without any verification, spreading lies and exposing press professionals who were simply doing their job.
As a result of this disinformation campaign, journalists who appeared in the images began to be identified and attacked on social media. The attacks were not restricted to the digital environment: two reporters were recognized on the street and on public transport and suffered face-to-face attacks. Montages were produced and videos were made using artificial intelligence, including a simulation of one of the professionals being stabbed. Furthermore, photos of journalists’ children and family members are being used as an instrument of intimidation and harassment.
It is unacceptable for parliamentarians and figures with space in the public debate to use their influence to orchestrate defamation campaigns and incite attacks against press professionals. This type of attack is not just an individual threat — it is a direct attack on press freedom and democracy.”
Read the full ABI note:
“The Brazilian Press Association repudiates the demonstrations of hostility and hatred directed at journalists covering the hospitalization of former president Jair Bolsonaro, in recent days, in Brasília.
Press professionals who fulfill their duty to inform society have been the target of verbal attacks and intimidation by supporters of the former president, in an environment of growing hostility towards journalistic work.
The attitude of former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who shared a video on her social networks with attacks on journalists, is causing outrage. The material, produced by a Bolsonarista influencer and amplified by far-right parliamentarians, was disseminated without any verification, disseminating misinformation and exposing professionals who were simply carrying out their work.
As a result of this campaign, journalists appearing in the images began to be identified and attacked on social media. The attacks went beyond the digital environment: reporters were recognized on the street and on public transport and suffered face-to-face attacks. Montages and videos using Artificial Intelligence simulating violence against professionals were also circulated, in addition to the display of photos of children and family members as a form of intimidation.
It is unacceptable for public figures to use their influence to spread false content or encourage defamation campaigns against journalists. This type of practice not only threatens individuals, but represents a direct attack on press freedom and society’s right to information.
The episode refers to the period from 2019 to 2022, in which violence against journalists was practiced and encouraged directly by Bolsonaro himself, then President of the Republic, through several episodes of sad memory. There were several occasions when press conferences at the Presidency of the Republic became spaces for attacks on press professionals in the ‘playpen’ under the command of Bolsonaro and his supporters.
We express solidarity with the professionals who are on duty and reiterate our unconditional defense of respect for journalistic activity and press freedom.”
Read the full note from FENAJ and SJPDF:
“The Union of Professional Journalists of the Federal District (SJPDF) and the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) publicly express their deepest repudiation of the serious episodes of hostility, violence and intimidation suffered by press professionals covering the hospitalization of former president Jair Bolsonaro, this Friday (13), at the DF Star hospital, in Brasília.
It is unacceptable for journalists, in the exercise of their professional activity, to be surrounded and harassed at the entrance of a health unit. Even more serious is the fact that physical and verbal violence there has been amplified by coordinated virtual attacks. The offenses and threats intensified after the federal deputy (PL-SP) published a video, later deleted, exposing the professionals and claiming, without any evidence in the images, that they were ‘wishing for the death’ of the former president.
This irresponsible exposure resulted in the leakage of reporters’ personal information, who began to receive hundreds of offensive messages and death threats on their social networks. This type of conduct, often encouraged by sectors of the extreme right, aims not only to intimidate individual professionals, but to weaken the free exercise of journalism and society’s right to information.
Given the seriousness of the facts, we demand immediate protection for journalists. We remind you that it is the State’s duty to guarantee the safety of professionals in public places and places of journalistic interest. The union will forward a request requesting the Military Police to act on site, ensuring the protection of press professionals, considering that PMDF vehicles already provide escort and security around the hospital for the former president. We demand that this police force also acts to protect journalists, preventing restrictions and attacks by militants.
We also emphasize that it is essential to rigorously investigate threats so that episodes like this do not happen again. We ask the police authorities and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to identify and punish the authors of virtual threats and those responsible for the undue exposure of professionals’ data.
We also demand that journalism companies provide safe working conditions for their professionals, taking the appropriate measures. And, also, that they offer legal support to journalists and guarantee removal from the coverage location if journalists do not feel safe to carry out their work.
We reaffirm that freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of democracy. Journalism is essential for bringing facts to public knowledge, and cannot be restricted by methods of physical or psychological coercion. We will not accept intimidation as a political method.
We offer our full solidarity to the affected colleagues and inform that the Union and its legal department are available to offer all necessary support.”
