A popular singer has been heavily criticised on social media after getting his 17-year-old girlfriend pregnant for a third time in Brazil, where the age of consent is 14.
‘Funk carioca’ artist MC Poze do Rodo announced on social media that his girlfriend was pregnant with the couple’s third child on Monday, 23rd August.
The couple – who are 20 and 17 years old, respectively – are already parents to a girl, Julia, aged two years and three months and a boy, Miguel, aged eight months.
The singer, whose real name is Marlon Brendo Coelho Couto Silva, made the announcement on Instagram Stories, where he boasts 7.7 million followers.
He announced that his teen girlfriend Vivianne Noronha, who is an influencer and boasts 1.7 million followers on Instagram, was pregnant with a girl.
The singer wrote “Thank you, God, for everything; another princess is on the way” in a post that garnered numerous congratulatory comments.
The mood over on Twitter was different, however. In a post that has since been ‘liked’ 14,700 times, netizen ‘Iarley’ wrote: “Man, I’m shocked at how people are ignoring the elephant in the room over this MC Poze do Rodo.
“You’re romanticising teenage pregnancy. The girl is 17 years old and has three children. Go f*ck yourselves.”
Netizen ‘Daiane’ also chimed in, writing: “MC Poze do Rodo is going to be a father for the third time and his girl is only 17 years old. Speechless.”
Some commenters hit back at the naysayers, however, with Twitter user Marcella Wallker commenting: “Poze’s wife is 17 years old, has three children, is rich, and is married to MC Poze do Rodo. You’re not rich, you have five children, and you don’t know who the children’s father is.”
The Rio de Janeiro native also took aim his critics, writing: “May the bad vibes from this Twitter get the hell away from my family.”
MC Poze do Rodo’s April hit ‘Vida Loca’ has amassed 132 million views on YouTube.
He had been due to record a duet with Brazilian superstar Anitta last year, but she ended up cancelling the collaboration after a 2019 video in which the MC made comments many considered to be homophobic emerged.
In the video, MC Poze do Rodo was asked if he would rather have a gay son or a lesbian daughter, and he replied that he would rather have the latter.
The age of consent in Brazil is 14, meaning the two did not break the law when their first child was conceived.
Funk carioca is a hip hop style from Rio de Janeiro derived from Miami bass and gangsta rap music.
