Former ‘Love is Blind Brazil 4’ participant Leandro Marçal Denies Rape Allegations: ‘Slander, Defamation, Insult’

Leandro Marçal Denies Rape Allegations

The personal trainer met Ingrid Santa Rita on a reality show, and they got married; after a brief period together, the architect divorced him and filed a report against Leandro.

After being accused of rape by Ingrid Santa Rita, Leandro Marçal issued a statement to address the case for the first time. The former participant of “Love is Blind” said he only had consensual relations with his then-wife, whom he met on the reality show.

“I, Leandro Marçal, state that I have never committed any of the acts attributed to me by Mrs. Ingrid Santa Rita, with whom I had a brief romantic relationship, as is widely known. I also declare that the facts, which were surprisingly reported during the recording of the episode ‘The Reunion’ (of the reality show ‘Love is Blind’) on July 7, 2024, do not match the always consensual exchanges we had during our marriage. (…) I further declare that all legal measures in response to this slander, defamation, and insult will be taken by my legal team. Finally, I express my deepest regret for all these slanderous accusations, emphasizing that I have always respected Mrs. Ingrid Santa Rita, never committing any illegal acts, which is thoroughly proven,” said Leandro.

The personal trainer also accused Netflix of biased editing, as the streaming platform chose not to air his defense during the episode.

“I also declare that Netflix and Endemol Shine Brasil edited the last episode ‘The Reunion,’ not including the defense I made against the accusations made by Mrs. Ingrid Santa Rita in that episode. It was published as they saw fit, which will also be the subject of all appropriate legal measures,” reads another part of the statement.

Ingrid Santa Rita and Netflix were contacted for comment but have not yet responded to Leandro Marçal’s statement.

Civil Police Open Investigation

The São Paulo Civil Police have opened an investigation to look into Leandro Marçal for three accusations: alleged rape of a vulnerable person, psychological violence against women, and domestic violence. Ingrid Santa Rita said that Leandro’s abuses began after the show, when they were married. The situations reached a peak after a conversation in which the architect advised her then-husband to address an erectile dysfunction issue.

“The abuse, the rape—that’s the word, folks—started happening from the moment I had this talk, and I spoke with him. Leandro would wait for me to go to sleep to try to resolve the issue,” said the architect.

Read also: understand what happened between Leandro and Ingrid


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