Vinicius Jr. publicly apologizes to TV host girlfriend after cheating scandal

Vinicius Jr. (L) and his girlfriend, TV host Virginia Fonseca. Photos by Instagram/@virginia, @vinijr

A few days after scoring twice in Madrid's 3-1 La Liga win over Villarreal, the Brazilian star made headlines again, this time with an affair scandal.

In a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, Vinicius acknowledged his wrongdoing and asked Fonseca for forgiveness after she discovered he had been exchanging messages with Magalhaes.

"I am not ashamed to admit that I was careless, that I did not respond in the best possible way and that I disappointed her," he wrote. "The idea now is to start all over again. No lies, no fights, no masks. With lots of love, affection and respect."

Fonseca, 26, reportedly cut off contact after finding out about Vinicius and Magalhaes, drawing comparisons in Brazilian media to Neymar's highly publicized split from Bruna Biancardi last year, Daily Mail reported.

Vinicius and Fonseca are believed to have started dating in early 2025. The 26-year-old Brazilian-American, who has more than 50 million followers on Instagram, was previously married to singer Zé Felipe and has three children. She has frequently traveled to Madrid, attended matches at the Santiago Bernabeu and worn a "Vini Jr." jersey in the stands, according to Goal.

Magalhaes recently released screenshots claiming she and Vinicius had been talking since May, which fueled a wave of criticism and speculation on social media.

This is not the first time the 25-year-old star has been linked to controversy in his private life. Brazilian outlets have associated him with several models over the past year, including Venezuelan model Isabella Ladera and former Miss New York Rachelle Di Stasio.

Born in 2000 in Sao Goncalo, Vinicius rose through Flamengo's academy, debuted for the first team at 16, and joined Real Madrid in 2018 for $50 million, a record fee for a teenage player at that time.

Vini has since established himself as one of the club's brightest stars, helping them win two Champions League titles, three La Liga, three Spanish Super Cup, one Copa del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. Off the pitch, he is a prominent face for major fashion and lifestyle brands.