A security guard involved in a heated confrontation with an 11-year-old girl at a São Paulo hotel has broken his silence, taking full responsibility for the March 21 incident that sparked widespread backlash against pop star Chappell Roan.
Celebrity bodyguard Pascal Duvier, a well-known figure in the industry, issued a public statement on Instagram clarifying that he was not a member of Roan’s security team and that the actions he took were his own.
In his statement posted March 25, Duvier directly addressed the viral rumors that had implicated the singer. He said the accusations circulating online were false and amounted to defamation.
“I take full responsibility for the interactions on March 21st,” Duvier wrote. “I was at the hotel on behalf of another individual, and I was not part of the personal security team of Chappell Roan. The actions I took were not on behalf of Chappell Roan, her personal security team, her management, or any other individuals”.
Duvier explained that his decision to intervene was a judgment call based on information from the hotel, events he had witnessed in the days prior, and the heightened security risk of the location. While maintaining that his interaction with the girl’s mother was calm and well-intentioned, he acknowledged that the outcome was “regretful”.
The incident unfolded when Ada Law, the 11-year-old daughter of actor Jude Law and singer Catherine Harding, was having breakfast with her mother at a hotel in São Paulo. The family was in town for Lollapalooza Brazil, where Roan was scheduled to headline.
According to Harding’s husband, soccer star Jorginho, Ada recognized Roan as she walked past the singer’s table. The child did not approach or speak to Roan but simply smiled before returning to her seat . Moments later, Duvier allegedly approached their table, speaking in an “aggressive tone” and accusing the girl of “disrespecting” or “harassing” the singer.
Jorginho said his daughter was left “extremely shaken and cried a lot” after the encounter .
Roan addressed the situation shortly after the story broke, denying that the guard was part of her personal detail. In an Instagram video, she said she was unaware of the incident and had not directed anyone to approach the mother and child.
“They did not come up to me. They weren’t doing anything,” Roan said. “It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions when they have no reason to believe”.
She apologized to the family, adding, “You did not deserve that”.
Harding later acknowledged Roan’s denial but suggested the singer still bore some responsibility, noting that the security guard was with Roan even if not officially on her payroll.
For now, Duvier’s statement appears to close the chapter on who was at fault. He remains the sole figure claiming accountability for an interaction that turned a child’s birthday trip into a viral controversy.
