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Soccer superstar Lamine Yamal is facing a government investigation after hiring entertainers with dwarfism to perform at his 18th birthday party.
The Barcelona and Spain player spent last weekend celebrating with a glitzy and star-studded event.
The teen is one of the biggest stars on the planet after helping guide Barcelona to secure the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana trophies while scoring 21 goals.
He put pen to paper on a new contract in May that pays him $17.3 million per season and keeps him with the Spanish giants until 2031.
The contract also includes a $1.1 billion release clause to keep rival clubs at bay from trying to lure him away.
Despite his otherworldly on-field achievements, the youngster now finds himself at the center of serious backlash following his birthday celebrations.
Footage from the event has begun circulating online appearing to show several people with dwarfism leaving the mafia-themed event.
The scenes have sparked serious concern that they may have been exploited during the celebrations with the ADEE – Spain’s Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasia – threatening legal action against the teen star.
“It’s unacceptable that in the 21st century, people with dwarfism continue to be used as entertainment at private parties,” ADEE President Carolina Puente said.
“And even more serious when these incidents involve public figures like Lamine Yamal.”
According to a Marca report the celebrations could be subject to an investigation after the Ministry of Social Rights called on the prosecutor’s office to look into whether the disability law, which prohibits shows that mock or denigrate people with disabilities, was violated.
“We are concerned that people with money, people with power, believe themselves to be unpunished,” Spain’s General Director of Disability Jesús Martín said.
“The law is for everyone, for the humble and the powerful. Let the appropriate investigations be opened, and let action be taken based on the conclusions.”
If found to have been in breach of the law, the teenage superstar could face a fine of up to $1.1 million.
Despite the backlash, one of the alleged entertainers with dwarfism has come out in defense of Yamal over the birthday celebrations.
Speaking to Spanish radio station RAC1, one of the entertainers said: “No one disrespected us, let us work in peace. I don’t understand why there’s so much hype. We’re normal people who do what we want, in an absolutely legal way.
“(ADEE) is humiliating people with dwarfism. For a couple of years now, these people (authorities) have been harming us; they want to ban a job that we like, and in no case have they offered jobs or courses to the affected people. We work as entertainers. Why can’t we do it? Because of our physical condition?”
The entertainer, who asked to remain anonymous, said they performed dancing, served drinks and did magic with the show lasting an hour.
He also stated that afterwards they joined in on the festivities with the rest of those in attendance before claiming the backlash only exists “because it was Lamine Yamal’s party.”
Further to the dwarfism backlash, a model named Claudia Calvo came forward to claim Yamal paid for 12 women with a “certain breast size” to attend the bash.
Calvo, who was Miss Teenager Spain back in 2021, claimed she was asked to attend the event but turned it down.
She told Tardear TV that she backed out of the event after allegedly receiving a list of demands about what she could wear and what she had to look like.
“I was asked to attend Lamine Yamal’s birthday party. They offered us between $A18,000 – $A35,000 to go, but I don’t know what they expected from us. They were asking for blonde women with very specific chest dimensions. We couldn’t take our phones,” Calvo said.
Dozens of glamorous women, fellow Barcelona stars and flashy entertainers can all be seen attending the party in images and videos from the event.
Yamal, whose bumper new contract with Barca kicked in as soon as he turned 18, has yet to make any comment.
He has, however, taken to Instagram to share a minute-long clip showing the best bits of the party to his 36 million followers.
The video has already racked up over a million likes and shows Yamal donning a white suit and cane and his now iconic bleached blonde hair.
The football ace also showed off his new $400,000 necklace featuring the initials “LY” which was said to be a gift by Dominican rapper El Alfa.
Casino-themed games and a live DJ were played long into the night.
The video ended with Yamal dancing as the numbers one to 18 flashed on the screen – alluding to his age.
Yamal and his Barca teammates kick off their preseason on July 27 against Vissel Kobe in Japan.
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