Gabi Garcia is an icon in the BJJ space. Garcia is one of the only competitors to ever win ADCC four times (division win).
Garcia is also the holder of nine Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships, yet she recently revealed that she has endured two years of domestic abuse.
Taking to her personal Instagram account, Garcia made the courageous decision to accuse her estranged husband, Bruno Almeida, of physically abusing her during their relationship.
“It’s time! Gather courage and tell everyone why I’ve been missing from here in these last two years.”
“They were the worst years of my life, but I’ll tell and show you all the details at the end of this week.”
“I didn’t believe this could happen, that someone could be so bad. A bandit, a person who committed crimes before being with me and after. A person with money, asking for alimony, my purses and earrings.”
“Asking for my house, using the name GARCIA, married and with a son using my last name and still with a person who calls herself a “daughter of God” who was at my wedding and wrote me “may God bless” today she continues to be the lover, because the individual does not want to give me a divorce.”
“Even with the protection with the Maria Penha law put did not stop! There were 19 frauds on my cards, 3 banks he closed my accounts, when I got home I didn’t have water, electricity. Diverting money from my payments.”
In a powerful video compilation posted on social media, BJJ champion Gabi Garcia shared a series of images and screen captures that she claimed provided evidence of the abuse inflicted upon her by Almeida.
Among her allegations, Garcia accused Almeida of physically striking her, stealing from her, and even making threats towards her and her family. Through captions accompanying the video, she offered some insights to her fans and followers about the distressing situation.
“The time has come for me to be brave and share the reason behind my absence for the past two years. They were the most challenging years of my life, but I will reveal all the details at the end of this week. I never imagined that something like this could happen, that someone could be so malicious. A criminal. Someone who has a history of committing crimes before and after being with me. A person who has financial resources and demands alimony, my possessions, my jewelry. Someone who claims my family name.”
“Despite being married and having a child, he continues to use my last name. This person, who claims to be a child of God, attended my wedding and wrote ‘God bless you,’ is still involved with him. ”
“That man refuses to divorce me. Even with a restraining order and the support of the Maria da Penha law (a Brazilian law designed to protect women who are victims of domestic violence), he persists. There have been 19 instances of credit card fraud, closures of my accounts in three different banks. I would return home to find no water, no electricity. He depleted my finances.”
“I had to go to court to prove that I am the rightful owner of my own house. He lied to his lawyer, stating that it was a rented property. He demanded my Chanel earrings, my collection of handbags, and alimony. He even resorted to intimidation tactics. As for a job? He doesn’t have one. ”
“He relies on an allowance from his mother. I am sharing all of this. We must have faith in the law. My parents suffer from depression, and I am confined to my house. However, I am determined to bring an end to this battle. I will disclose every detail to my fans to support women who have experienced abuse.”
Accompanying her captions, Gabi Garcia presented screenshots from her mobile phone, purportedly displaying exchanges between herself and Almeida. She highlighted the frequency of alleged late-night calls from Almeida, with several screenshots showing timestamps around 3 a.m.
In other screenshots, text messages allegedly sent by Almeida mocked Garcia for lacking access to healthcare, internet, and credit cards, as he allegedly cut off her resources. These messages also contained derogatory references to Garcia.
Furthermore, Garcia shared screenshots of anonymous text messages containing threats against her. The sender claimed to be aware of Garcia’s father’s company and its location, using this knowledge as a warning to the BJJ star.
Another screenshot revealed that Garcia’s father received similar intimidating messages, instructing him to intervene and make his daughter stop her actions while revealing that the sender already possessed his address.
A subsequent text message, supposedly from Almeida himself, confirmed his involvement in the threats against the BJJ champion’s family, warning that her “daddy would receive a gift” if she turned off her phone.
