Minas Gerais court accepts Leila appeal, admits criminal complaint against Dudu for defamation | OneFootball

The ninth Criminal Chamber of the Minas Gerais Court of Justice accepted an appeal by Palmeiras president Leila Pereira and admitted a private criminal complaint against Atlético-MG forward Dudu for alleged defamation and insult on social media, according to Globo.com.

The decision overturns last year’s rejection by the eighth Criminal Court of Belo Horizonte, which cited mutual provocation. The case now returns to the lower court.

The ruling was unanimous, with José Xavier Magalhães Brandão, Élito Batista de Almeida and Kárin Emmerich voting in favour. Prosecutors backed the appeal, while Dudu sought to keep the original rejection.

Leila lodged the complaint in May 2025 after saying he left Palmeiras by the back door. Dudu replied online, saying he had been told to leave by the back door, contrasting his story with hers, tagging her account and using profanity.

In July 2025 Dudu filed a criminal complaint against her in São Paulo for defamation and insult. Separately, a São Paulo court ordered him to pay R$ 50,000 in moral damages, and the sports tribunal gave him a six-match ban plus a R$ 90,000 fine for offences against her.

The case alleges at least four defamatory acts, including calling her false, chasing likes, questioning her legitimacy as president and warning journalist Benjamin Back to be careful. Their dispute intensified in 2025 when Dudu was briefly announced by Cruzeiro, then withdrew, before rescinding his Palmeiras deal. Leila later said his conduct was because she is a woman.

Source: Globo.com

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