Manchester United player Antony released private WhatsApp messages he claims were sent between him and a woman who accused him of assault.
Last week, Greater Manchester Police and Sao Paulo Civil Police confirmed they were investigating allegations from Antony’s ex-girlfriend, Gabriela Cavallin. She’s alleged she was the victim of multiple attacks from the Brazil winger between June 2022 and May 2023.
And on Thursday a second woman, Ingrid Lana, gave an interview to Brazilian TV station Record where she claimed the 23-year-old tried to force her to kiss him last year, and then physically attacked her when she refused.
Over the weekend, it was confirmed by United that the player would be given time off by the club in order to deal with the allegations.
The Telegraph has reported that the alleged incident between Antony and Lana occurred at a Cheshire hotel in the early hours of September 16 last year. Antony had returned to Manchester after playing for the club in Moldova against Sheriff Tiraspol the previous night.
The player has now published messages he claims to have received from Lana on Instagram. And he implied that the exchanges prove his innocence.
“I don’t want to but I’m being forced to publish a small part of the WhatsApp conversations with Ingrid, which demonstrates that we only had a single meeting, intimate and consensual,” Antony said on his Instagram stories account. “This matter will be resolved in court!!”
Many of the published messages are of an explicit nature, with the person allegedly writing “If you want, I’ll wait naked for you in bed.”
On Monday, Lana responded on Instagram. She countered Antony’s claims by labeling him “desperate” and “embarrassing,” and argued the published messages were fabricated by branding him a “liar”.
A third woman, Rayssa de Freitas, has also made claims against Antony. In May 2022, she submitted a police report in Sao Paulo alleging both the United player and a female companion were violent towards her after a night out.
Antony, who joined United for £80million from Ajax last season, denies all allegations against him.
He stated on Sunday: “I have agreed with Manchester United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me. This was a mutual decision to avoid distraction to my teammates and unnecessary controversy for the club.”
