Javier Bardem speaks out after World Cup comments backlash — Here's what he really meant

Javier Bardem is setting the record straight. Following Spain's World Cup win against Argentina, Bardem celebrated alongside many of his countrymen. He was also featured in an interview with Zeteo, where he discussed how the World Cup match was politicized, statements that various Argentine outlets reacted to with outrage. 

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Bardem shared a statement on Instagram, addressing the audience directly. "Due to what's going on, I want to share this video to clarify what I said... and what I never said and would never say," he said in Spanish. 

He clarified that he believed Argentina was being unfairly judged and that he respected the country immensely. "I never said Argentina was xenophobic or racist. That never came out of my mind and will never come out of my mouth, because I have nothing but love, respect, thankfulness and admiration for Argentina in all realms, whether it's cultural, cinematographical, or actorally."

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Bardem shared that many of his loved ones are of Argentine origin. "To me, it's important to clarify all of the things I never said and will never say due to the respect and love I have towards the Argentinean people."

Shortly after the match between Argentina and Spain, Bardem said that there was an extra political weight to the match that "didn't belong to football." 

Rosalia faced a similar conundrum

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Bardem isn't the first celebrity to face scrutiny over their comments about Argentina during the World Cup final. Rosalia also shared various posts celebrating Spain, including posts that some Argentine fans took personally.

The video that sparked outrage was shared by Mia Khalifa, showing her celebrating Spain's win to the tune of "La Perla," a song that features lyrics like "national heartbreaker, emotional terrorist," and the "biggest disaster in the world.” She quickly deleted her post, but some viewers still interpreted Rosalia as directing her lyrics to the entire nation of Argentina. 

“I hit share because ‘La Perla’ was playing, and I didn’t even read the caption. My bad. Sorry,” wrote Rosalia, adding numerous crying emojis over an Argentine flag. 

© rosalia.vt