Hiring dwarves for his 18th birthday: footballer Lamine Yamal at the heart of the storm

Barely an adult, Lamine Yamal is already at the center of his first major scandal. The FC Barcelona star, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Saturday, July 12th at a highly private party in Barcelona, finds himself the target of accusations of violating the dignity of people with disabilities.

The reason: the hiring of several people with dwarfism for the animation.

A party and reproaches

More than 200 hand-picked guests, phones banned at the entrance, a diamond-encrusted necklace estimated at 400,000 euros... The prodigy's birthday party was shaping up to be a perfect match.

Until a statement from the Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE) hit the Spanish media like a bolt from the blue: "On the birthday of the young footballer, an emblematic figure of Spanish sport, people with dwarfism were recruited solely for entertainment and promotional purposes."

The association does not stop there. It announces that it will take legal and social action to defend the dignity of the people concerned, recalling that in Spain, shows that use disabled people for mocking or discriminatory purposes are explicitly prohibited by law .

"This type of practice is unacceptable because it perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination and damages the image and rights of people with dwarfism and the entire community of people with disabilities," denounced Carolina Puente , president of ADEE.

Pictures, a DJ… and the beginning of the problems

Despite the closed-door hours imposed on the guests, some images have leaked. They notably show DJ Chimbala , a Dominican artist who himself suffers from dwarfism, performing in front of the crowd.

While some consider its participation to be a classic event, for ADEE the intention remains problematic: to make disability an object of spectacle.

The controversy quickly ignited social media. And as if that weren't enough, a second case has fueled the controversy.

"Very specific conditions" for guests

On Sunday night, on the set of Telecinco , model Claudia Calvo dropped a bombshell live: "Lamine Yamal wanted 12 escort girls for his birthday. They asked for blonde women with very specific breasts. They offered us between 10,000 and 20,000 euros to go. I don't know what they expected from us. We couldn't take our phones."

Although these statements were not corroborated, they were enough to relaunch the media machine. Especially since a video posted the next day shows him in a van, without a seatbelt.

A youthful slip-up?

For its supporters, the media storm surrounding this evening is nothing short of hype. But for the ADEE, the message it sends is disgraceful .

"This sends the message that discrimination is acceptable or insignificant, especially among young people. It is everyone's responsibility to definitively eradicate the objectification of difference and to educate in the values of respect and equality."

According to the latest information from Cope , the Spanish government has decided to open an investigation.