Argentine actress and TV host Florencia Peña has been fired from the streaming platform Luzu TV after she falsely reported the death of Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, while hosting the show El show del verano on one of Argentina's most popular platforms.
Peña made the unconfirmed claim during a heated debate about media responsibility tied to World Cup coverage.
I don't want to bring bad news, but Messi's father has just passed away. It was sudden. In the middle of the World Cup,
Shortly afterward, alerted by her producers, Peña clarified that the information had not been confirmed. By then, the false report was already spreading rapidly across social media.
Messi's family, currently in the United States for the 2026 World Cup, released a statement expressing their deep discomfort over the lack of sensitivity, respect, and decency with which some have handled a strictly private family matter.
Relatives added that Jorge Messi, 68 is going through a health situation and is under medical supervision, recovering and evolving favorably, without providing further details.
Luzu TV director Nicolás Occhiato expressed his outrage and disagreement with what happened on air.
This calls for an internal review and a strong sanction, as it was an unacceptable error.
Peña's dismissal followed that internal response to the on-air mistake.
