A Paraguayan senator made a series of racist comments about Kylian Mbappé, deleted them, sort of apologized, kept insulting him anyway, and now says her Instagram got hacked. You truly cannot make this up.
Senator Celeste Amarilla posted on X Thursday claiming her Instagram account had been compromised "possibly since this morning" — a convenient development that arrived days after she called Mbappé a "brute," a "colonised Cameroonian," and wrote that as a child he "sucked on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever listened to were chimpanzees." The posts have since been deleted. The alleged hack showed no obvious signs of external interference — aside from a broken WhatsApp link in her bio.
Mbappé didn't stay quiet
The French star responded directly and without diplomatic padding. "Madame Celeste Amarilla, you are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position," Mbappé said. "Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup."
He's not wrong on that last point. Paraguay genuinely impressed at this World Cup. Their players fought hard, earned respect, and that story has now been completely buried under this mess — which is exactly what Mbappé pointed out.
Amarilla expressed regret over the original posts by Tuesday. Then, in a Paraguayan Senate session on Wednesday, called Mbappé a "son of a b---" for refusing to shake goalkeeper Orlando Gill's hand after the match. "He's not French, a Frenchman wouldn't do that," she added. That's not walking something back — that's doubling down while pretending to retreat.
Legal consequences are now on the table
French prosecutors have opened an investigation following a complaint lodged by the French Football Federation. The offense cited carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of around $51,000. Amarilla, for her part, has threatened to sue Mbappé for alleged "gender-based violence" and "political violence" — a legal strategy that will be interesting to watch unfold.
Paraguay's own government distanced itself from the comments, calling them "contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence." Senate leader Basilio Nunez was blunter: "They aren't just bad, they're terrible."
Mbappé, 27, ranks 12th on Forbes' 2026 highest-paid athletes list with an estimated $95 million earned last year. He's chasing his second World Cup winners' medal. The senator is now facing a criminal investigation in France.
