Reporter María Fernanda Mora was assaulted by a football fan during a live broadcast of the celebrations for Mexican club Chivas.
A clip of the incident, originally broadcast in 2018, has recently resurfaced on social media, receiving over 10 million views on X (formerly Twitter).
After being touched, the Fox Sports reporter turned around and struck the man with her microphone.
The man then backed away and raised his hands as if to suggest he had done nothing wrong.
A user on the platform referred to the assault as a “great moment,” sparking outrage as thousands questioned why the situation was being naturalized or celebrated.
Image credits: marifermora_90
“She was s*xually assaulted in front of a camera and it’s very obvious that she started crying or had an anxiety attack and the first thing men think is that it was a ‘great moment’????????????” one user wrote in a post that received 87,000 likes.
“They will always tell us that we are exaggerating,” said another woman.
“It disgusts me. Poor woman. If it had been accidental, he’d apologize, it wouldn’t go any further. It wasn’t,” commented someone else. “And there are still people who don’t understand that we must respect other people.”
In response, María struck the man with her microphone, after which he backed away
Image credits: Fox Sports Mexico
“Not all men but always a man!!” stated a separate user, while another said, “Women should be able to go wherever they want. Men shouldn’t assault anyone, period.”
The journalist was broadcasting from La Minerva, a monument in the city of Guadalajara, but she struggled to raise her voice, as the excitement of the supporters made it nearly impossible for her to speak.
“This is a real party, but I can’t hear you all, so I’m going back to the studio with you,” she said just before the football fan touched her inappropriately.
Image credits: Fox Sports Mexico
Upon returning to the studio, her colleague, José Pablo Coello, condemned the supporter’s behavior, calling him a “pseudo-fan” and describing his actions as “unacceptable.”
The reporter later addressed some users who downplayed or mocked the assault. “I’m telling you what happened to me, so you don’t start talking nonsense. I was groped several times while I was on camera. Several times! Thank you for your unsolicited opinion,” she wrote on X.
A resurfaced clip of the incident has gone viral on social media, receiving over 10 million views on X (formerly Twitter)
Image credits: Fox Sports Mexico
In honor of this year’s International Women’s Day, María reflected on the persistent gender inequality in various aspects of society.
“Every so often, these types of accounts re-viralize the s*xual assault I suffered 7 years ago. They want to revictimize me,” she wrote.
“Today, in light of the times, I tell you that I’m not ashamed of what I experienced; the attacker should be ashamed. I’m not ashamed of my reaction either,” she went on to say.
María confirmed she was groped multiple times on camera and criticized those downplaying the incident
Image credits: Joel Espinosa (Not the actual photo)
She said she refused to be “paralyzed” by the incident or let it be used as a “weapon” against her.
“I’m grateful that instead of being paralyzed, I managed to do something,” she added. “This has long since ceased to be a ‘weapon’ that can be used against me.”
But María wasn’t the first female reported to be assaulted while doing her job. French journalist Marina Lorenzo experienced a similar situation during Spain’s Copa del Rey final. “Don’t touch me,” she told a supporter of FC Barcelona who was celebrating outside a stadium.
Image credits: marifermora_90
Brazilian reporter Bruna Dealtry also had to dodge a Vasco da Gama fan who attempted to kiss her while she was broadcasting.
The same month, Renata de Medeiros was reportedly attacked while working for Brazil’s Radio Gaúcha. A football fan yelled, “Get out of here, b*tch!” and, according to Medeiros, he attacked her when she asked him to repeat the insult on camera.
She pointed out how women are questioned, blamed, or scrutinized when they advance in their careers or report harassment
Image credits: marifermora_90
More recently, in 2022, Jessica Dias was the victim of harassment by a fan of the football team Flamengo while covering a match of the Libertadores Cup at the country’s Maracaná stadium.
The football fan kissed the ESPN broadcaster without her consent. Isabelle Costa, Jessica’s colleague, later confirmed on social media that the man had been arrested and reported that he had groped the reporter in addition to kissing her.
People supported the reporter for defending herself against her aggressor and speaking out about the incident
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