From world cup glory to sex tape scandal: Lavezzi faces vile extortion threats

Ex-Argentina star Ezequiel Lavezzi says criminals demand cash to keep sex videos secret

Former Argentina striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, once a fan favourite at Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli, has filed a formal complaint after claiming he is the target of a disturbing sex tape extortion scheme.

Judicial sources in Buenos Aires confirmed the 35-year-old retired forward contacted cybercrime prosecutors after receiving chilling threats. Messages warned that intimate videos and recordings of him would be leaked online unless he handed over $5,000 for each piece of content.

The scandal erupted while Argentina remained under strict coronavirus lockdown. Lavezzi has been living in Saint Barthelemy, a French Caribbean island, with his partner, Brazilian model and actress Natalia Borges. Prosecutors say criminals used two Instagram accounts to send threats not only to the former footballer but also directly to Borges, who was targeted on her own social media.

According to reports, the blackmailers provided specific descriptions of the alleged material, including private conversations. Lawyers for Lavezzi said that even if the recordings turned out to be fabricated, the case still amounted to serious extortion. The Argentine press has already branded the case “pornoextortion,” a term reflecting both its sexual and criminal dimensions.

Lavezzi’s legal team stated they immediately filed evidence with prosecutors specialising in cybercrime. They explained that the details given by the blackmailers seemed credible and left the couple shaken. A source close to them told local newspaper La Nacion: “They began writing to the couple via Instagram. They described the content in detail, which made their claims believable. But even if the videos were false, it would still be blackmail.”

The scandal marks a dramatic departure from the career that earned Lavezzi both fame and fortune. Nicknamed El Pocho (“The Chubby One”), he represented Argentina 51 times, playing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where the team reached the final against Germany. He lifted the Coppa Italia with Napoli in 2012, before enjoying a trophy-laden spell at PSG where he won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles.

Later in his career, he moved to China, joining Hebei Fortune, before retiring from football in December 2019. At the time, he expressed gratitude for a career that had taken him from humble beginnings at San Lorenzo in Buenos Aires to the grand stages of Europe.

Now, however, his reputation risks being overshadowed by a scandal far removed from the pitch. The case has thrown a harsh spotlight on the vulnerability of high-profile athletes to cyber-blackmail and the growing trend of hackers targeting celebrities during lockdown, when many are confined to private spaces and relying heavily on online platforms.

Authorities in Argentina have not disclosed whether they have identified suspects behind the threats. Judicial officials have, however, confirmed that an active investigation is under way and that cybercrime units are attempting to trace the origins of the Instagram accounts used in the blackmail attempt.

For Lavezzi and Borges, the ordeal remains ongoing. Friends say the couple are “deeply unsettled” by the invasion of their privacy, and Borges has reportedly tightened her own online security after receiving messages from the same group.

What should have been a quiet period of retirement on a Caribbean island has instead turned into a public battle against humiliation and extortion. For one of Argentina’s most recognisable footballers, the fight now is not for trophies, but for dignity.