Colombian reporter Julieth Gonzalez was in the middle of a World Cup report in Russia when a man abruptly jumped into her shot and got handsy on live TV. The man jumped into her frame and grabbed her chest while planting a kiss on her cheek.
Colombian reporter Julieth Gonzalez was in the middle of a World Cup report in Russia when a man abruptly jumped into her shot and got handsy on live TV.
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While reporting from a city square in Saransk for Deutsche Welle, a German station, Gonzalez was interrupted by a man who jumped into her frame and grabbed her chest while planting a kiss on her cheek.
But the journalist didn’t let the awkward incident throw her off her game. Gonzalez maintained her composure and continued on with her live segment after the man left the shot.
Though she was able to continue on with her show, following the incident she took to social media to condemn the fan’s abrupt actions.
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“We do not deserve this treatment,” Gonzalez posted on Instagram with the footage of her report. “We are equally valuable and professionals. I share the joy of football, but we must identify the limits of affection and harassment.”
She added, “I had been at the scene for two hours to prepare for the broadcast and there had been no interruptions. When we went live, this fan took advantage of the situation. But afterwards, when I checked to see if he was still there, he was gone.”
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Bibiana Steinhaus, Germany’s first female referee in the Bundesliga soccer league, later commented on the incident and blamed the male-dominated sports culture for the man’s actions.
“I feel for her because this type of attack has happened several times in the past,” Steinhaus told Deutsche Welle. “Don’t kid yourself that similar misogynist things do not happen.”
The man in Gonzalez’s video has not yet been identified.