Argentine presenter Florencia Peña resigned from her position after falsely claiming the death of Jorge, Lionel Messi's father.
The 51-year-old presenter alleged the death of 68-year-old Jorge while hosting the show "El Show del Verano" on the Argentine channel "Luzu TV."
Messi, 38, shone with a stunning hat-trick that took him back in time, as his national team began their World Cup journey with a 3-0 victory over Algeria.
The veteran star appeared emotional after one of his goals, a scene that prompted Peña to make a false statement, saying live on air: I don’t want to broadcast bad news, but Messi’s father has just passed away.
She continued: Halfway through the World Cup, he will have to leave. Messi's family later issued a statement confirming that the claim was untrue.
The statement said: The Messi family reports that Jorge is undergoing health issues, currently under medical supervision, and is recovering and progressing positively in his condition.
The Messi family added: In light of the reports, rumors, and speculation circulating over the past hours, the family wishes to express their strong displeasure regarding the insensitivity, disrespect, and lack of decency with which some have treated a purely personal and family matter.
The statement goes on: Only the immediate family possesses the true and accurate information regarding Jorge’s condition, hence any narrative, statement, or information that does not come from the family itself and its official channels should not be deemed accurate or credible, and in times like these, we demand responsibility, discernment, and humanity, as a person's health and the peace of their loved ones should not be material for speculation or irresponsible media attention.
The Messi family concluded their statement: We sincerely appreciate all the expressions of support, respect, and concern we have received, and we ask for respect for Jorge's privacy and that of his entire family and confidentiality of their matters during this period, and any important updates will be announced in due time by the family through appropriate channels.
Following that, the presenter issued her apology in a personal statement, confirming her resignation from "Luzu TV," stating: I apologize to the Messi family for the difficult moment I imagine they are experiencing, I feel deep shame for being a conduit for this pain, I must clarify that this false information reached me live as confirmed by the production team, and I relied on it.
The Argentine presenter continued: However, I take responsibility for being part of this mistake, which is why I have decided to resign, and I apologize once again from the bottom of my heart; I was wrong.
Luzu TV added in another statement: We deeply regret the news that was aired during the show, for our channel, broadcasting sensitive information without prior verification is unacceptable.