Justice upholds moral damages compensation from Mario Frias to Marcelo Adnet at R$30,000
In Rio de Janeiro, the 18th Private Law Chamber of the RJ Court rejected the appeal from federal deputy Mario Frias (PL-SP) in the lawsuit filed by comedian Marcelo Adnet. He will have to pay R$30,000 in compensation for moral damages. Adnet had already won the lawsuit last October.
Back in September 2020, Frias, the then Special Secretary of Culture in Bolsonaro’s government, complained on social media about a parody Adnet did on the show “Sinta-se Em Casa” on Globoplay. In the sketch, the comedian imitated the former actor and it enraged him.
Mario Frias stated that the comedian “was a Judas, who did not even respect his own wife by publicly betraying her out of pure vanity and lack of character.” He also called Adnet a “filthy creature,” a “weak boy,” “without a future,” a “decadent clown,” and a “scoundrel.”
The article reached out to Mario Frias’ office, but they did not respond. Marcelo Adnet’s office confirmed that the ruling was issued on Tuesday (16). The decision can still be appealed to higher courts.
F5 had access to the decision of Judge Leila Santos Lopes, who explained that she rejected the appeal because “the insults uttered by the defendant violated the honor and image of the plaintiff, constituting an abuse in the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”
She also emphasized that the post did not only make negative comments about the actor’s work. “The comment attributed qualities and mentioned personal facts.”
The judge highlighted that Mario Frias held a position “which requires decorum, with great visibility, as evidenced by the social media coverage” in 2020.
She also maintained the initial compensation amount: “Thus, it is verified that the compensation must be maintained at R$30,000, showing consistency with the principles of proportionality and reasonableness, as well as with the punitive, educational, and preventive nature of the reparatory amount, not deserving a reduction.”