Sergio Maurício sentenced to pay R$ 10,000 for insults to Erika Hilton

A São Paulo court has ordered sports commentator Sergio Maurício to pay R$ 10,000 in moral damages to Federal Deputy Erika Hilton. The ruling follows a social media post in which Maurício referred to the lawmaker as a “human fake news, this thing.”

Judge Fabio Coimbra Junqueira ruled that while freedom of expression is a constitutional right, it does not permit the degradation of individuals. The court found that Maurício used Hilton’s gender identity to ridicule her, exceeding the limits of protected speech. The post reached approximately 1.8 million views on X.

In addition to the fine, the sentence requires Maurício to publish a retraction on X or Instagram within 15 days. Failure to comply will result in a daily fine of R$ 500, capped at R$ 15,000. Although Maurício previously issued an apology in a magazine column, the court deemed it insufficient to repair the damage to Hilton’s honor and image.