Taubaté pregnancy hoax explained
In January 2012, Maria Verônica Aparecida César Santos (born),[1] a Brazilian educator living in Taubaté, simulated being pregnant with quadruplets. Her case was widely covered by prominent national media outlets. She notably appeared on the Record TV show , where she received diapers and a furnished room for the alleged daughters for free.
, the host of Hoje em Dia, was skeptical of the pregnancy and asked reporter Michael Keller to investigate the case, revealing that Santos's sonogram had been copied from the internet and edited. Santos sought a lawyer to defend her, who later stated that the case was indeed false. Santos and her husband, Kléber, faced charges of fraud, but the proceedings were suspended and, years later, dismissed. The owner of the original sonogram also sued Santos for moral damages.
Since then, Santos – known as Portuguese: Grávida de Taubaté – became an Internet meme. In the 2012 Brazilian Carnival, a costume simulating pregnancy was the best-seller in Taubaté. The format "X de Taubaté" ("X of/from Taubaté") was appended to words to suggest hoaxes. After the incident, Maria isolated herself, sought psychiatric help, and changed her habits and appearance. Flores attempted to reconnect with her in subsequent years. A film based around the case was announced in late 2023.
Case
Background and hoax repercussions
Maria Verônica Aparecida César Santos, resident of Taubaté, owned a preschool and, at the time, had a four-year-old son. Before the hoax was revealed, she reported that she initially thought she was pregnant with twins, but later found out she was pregnant with quadruplets. The case would have been rare, since approximately one in every nine million women became pregnant with quadruplets, in addition to the fact that her husband had had a vasectomy.[2] The supposed daughters would be called Maria Klara, Maria Eduarda, Maria Fernanda and Maria Vitória, and each would have specific colors for their belongings.[3] [4]
By the next week, Santos had already appeared on six local programs, with details of her pregnancy, and began to be absent from school to record interviews outside of Taubaté.[5] G1 published on January 6, 2012, that "The godparents [...] have already been chosen. The babies' room has also been set up. Verônica is in the 34th week of pregnancy, and the quadruplets are expected to be born in the first half of January."[6] She appeared in several national media outlets, including TV Globo, Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, RedeTV! and Rede Bandeirantes.[7] Her most well-known appearance, however, was on , on the 11th,[8] [9] one of Record's highest-rated programs.[10] Santos mentioned on the show that she had gained thirty kilograms during her pregnancy, and her belly measured 1.82 meters.[11] In that same program, the sponsor Pampers delivered diapers, and presenter cried when revealing that the team had made a furnished room for the babies.[12]
Hoax revelation
, at the time the host of Hoje em Dia, is credited with "unmasking" Santos. On The Noite com Danilo Gentili, she revealed that before going on air with Santos, she expressed her disbelief in Santos's pregnancy in her dressing room. Santos refused to provide any proof. Flores then asked reporter Michael Keller, who would take Santos to Taubaté after the show, to find out if she was truly pregnant. On the same day, he consulted a doctor and discovered that the ultrasound Santos presented as hers was copied from the internet and edited.[13] [14] [15]
On January 15, Record's aired a report indicating that Santos was probably not pregnant. An obstetrician presented evidence that an ultrasound conducted by Verônica on August 30, 2011, showed she was not pregnant, which would be impossible.[16] After Santos's husband filed a police report against Record,[17] the Civil Police requested a pregnancy test on the 17th.[18] The next day, a sectional police chief announced that he would open an investigation into the case.[19]
Meanwhile, Santos was looking for a lawyer to defend her and chose a lawyer recommended by her sister. Initially, Santos wanted to sue those who believed her pregnancy was fake for defamation, but the lawyer was unsure. He agreed to take the case with one condition: Santos had to go to the doctor and prove she was pregnant. However, she did not show up for the appointment. In the early hours of the next day, Santos's sister confirmed that the pregnancy was fake.[20] The lawyer confirmed the hoax to the press on the 20th.[21] Ten days later, he released a photo of Santos without silicone or padding in her belly.[22] In a statement on the 27th, she confessed to faking the pregnancy due to psychological issues, expressing her dream of having a daughter.[23]
Lawsuit
In March, the owner of the original ultrasound filed a lawsuit against Santos for moral damages, citing the improper use of the image. On May 21, it was decided that Santos would pay 4,000 reais in compensation to her.[24] Furthermore, Santos and her husband Kléber were prosecuted for the crime of embezzlement. However, a court settlement halted the proceedings in November.[25] The case was dismissed in December 2014.[26]
Legacy
Santos became known as "Grávida de Taubaté" and turned into an Internet meme.[27] A fake pregnancy costume was the best seller at the 2012 Brazilian Carnival in Taubaté.[28] Taubaté became known as the "city of lies", and the format "X de Taubaté" ("X of/from Taubaté") was appended to words to suggest hoaxes.[29] [30] A notable example of Taubaté as a suffix was the "Parkour de Taubaté" meme ("Parkour of Taubaté") in 2020, a name given by Internet users who mocked a video of people doing parkour.[31] [32] Edu Guedes was mocked in subsequent years for crying in Hoje em Dia.[33] Journalist made an episode about the case in his podcast Além do Meme.[34] The Unidos do Parque Aeroporto samba school, in Taubaté, was the champion in the city's carnival in 2018; one of its blocks was dedicated to Grávida de Taubaté.[35] The case inspired the name of the podcast Filhos da Grávida de Taubaté ("[The] Children of Grávida de Taubaté").[36]
Santos and Chris Flores
According to a December 2012 G1 article, after the case, Santos "isolated herself, sought treatment and saw her life change completely". She changed her habits and her looks by going blonde. She sought out a psychiatrist, who monitored her until August. At the time of publication, Santos lived in the central region of the city with her husband and son, taking care of the house, as the school where she worked was sold. According to her lawyer, "Today she is fine. She underwent therapy, took medication, but the most important thing was for her to have an understanding of what happened to her."[37] Since then, Santos and Kléber have lived discreetly without easily identifiable profiles on social media. She ran a store of religious items for some time, but later closed it.[38]
In October 2020, Chris told that she had already contacted Santos through a mutual friend.[39] In an attempt to have Chris talk directly to Santos, team went to Santos's supposed house on July 6, 2021, but the reporter and cameraman were attacked by her alleged husband. The incident was broadcast live.[40] [41] In December the same year, Chris told Vênus Podcast that "everything was fine" between the two.[42] [43]
Film
In September 2023, director Frank "Diaraki" announced a movie about the case, titled Grávida de 4 ("Pregnant with 4"), with filming scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2024. The film will be inspired by Parasite (2019), with Frank describing it as a "comedy thriller like you've never seen."[44] [45] According to Frank, the film is in pre-production, but he had already signed off on the script.[46] In October 2023, actress Viih Tube was invited to play Santos.[47]
See also
References
- Sources
- Web site: July 10, 2021. October 19, 2020. Felitti, Chico. . Grávida de Taubaté. Spotify. Além do Meme. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041854/https://open.spotify.com/episode/1PGlUHwSW0BXHDgg8f8Pg7. live.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 2012-01-23 . Falsa grávida procura tratamento psiquiátrico no interior de SP . 2024-02-23 . Folha de S.Paulo.
- , 2:58—3:42
- Web site: December 20, 2021. January 7, 2012. 'Megagrávida' de Taubaté (SP) leva 4 Marias na barriga. F5. December 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211220111429/https://f5.folha.uol.com.br/humanos/1031392-megagravida-de-taubate-sp-leva-4-marias-na-barriga.shtml. live.
- , 4:07—4:21
- , 3:52—4:01
- Web site: July 9, 2021. January 6, 2012. Casal que esperava ter gêmeos descobre que terá quadrigêmeos. Couple that expected to have twins discovers they'll have quadruplets. pt-BR. G1. May 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506204813/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/01/casal-que-esperava-ter-gemeos-descobre-que-tera-quadrigemeos.html. live.
- , 8:03—8:23
- Web site: January 12, 2022. January 11, 2022. Grávida de Taubaté: Dez anos depois, Chris Flores diz ter pena da farsante. Notícias da TV. January 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220112021239/https://noticiasdatv.uol.com.br/noticia/celebridades/gravida-de-taubate-dez-anos-depois-chris-flores-diz-ter-pena-da-farsante-73074. live.
- Web site: Um dos maiores memes do Brasil faz 10 anos: o caso da 'Grávida de Taubaté'. January 9, 2024. Uol. pt-br . January 9, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240109144610/https://www.uol.com.br/splash/noticias/2022/01/11/gravida-de-taubate-10-anos.htm . live.
- , 4:59—5:28
- , 6:04—6:26
- , 6:44—7:24
- Web site: July 9, 2021. Chris Flores revela como desmascarou a Grávida de Taubaté. YouTube. The Noite com Danilo Gentili. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041854/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVPPrENp1bU. live.
- Web site: August 21, 2023. Flávio. pt-br. Ricco. Repórter reivindica autoria da elucidação do caso "Grávida de Taubaté". UOL TV e Famosos. August 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230819220027/https://tvefamosos.uol.com.br/colunas/flavio-ricco/2017/03/14/apresentadora-e-reporter-disputam-elucidacao-do-caso-gravida-de-taubate.htm. live.
- Web site: December 27, 2023. Chris Flores revela como desmascarou a 'grávida de Taubaté'. Estadão. December 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231227160122/https://www.estadao.com.br/emais/gente/chris-flores-revela-como-desmascarou-a-gravida-de-taubate/. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. January 16, 2012. Gravidez de quadrigêmeos pode ser uma farsa. G1. Estadão Conteúdo. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710000444/http://g1.globo.com/brasil/noticia/2012/01/gravidez-de-quadrigemeos-pode-ser-uma-farsa.html. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. 7:13—7:18. Exclusivo: veja o passo a passo de como foi desmontada a farsa da supergrávida. R7. Domingo Espetacular. December 14, 2012. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041855/https://recordtv.r7.com/domingo-espetacular/videos/exclusivo-veja-o-passo-a-passo-de-como-foi-desmontada-a-farsa-da-supergravida-15092018. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 18, 2012. Polícia pede exame para grávida comprovar gestação. G1. Estadão Conteúdo. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041857/http://g1.globo.com/brasil/noticia/2012/01/policia-pede-exame-para-gravida-comprovar-gestacao.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 18, 2012. Delegado vai abrir inquérito para apurar gravidez de quadrigêmeos. G1. June 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210608211517/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/01/delegado-vai-abrir-inquerito-para-apurar-gravidez-de-quadrigemeos.html. live.
- , 11:38—13:11
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 20, 2012. Gestação de quadrigêmeos era farsa, diz advogado de 'supergrávida'. G1. May 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506082250/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/01/advogado-de-gravida-confirma-farsa-em-gestacao-de-quadrigemeos.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 30, 2012. Advogado de falsa grávida divulga foto da mulher sem a barriga. G1. January 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130133405/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/01/advogado-de-falsa-gravida-divulga-foto-da-mulher-sem-barriga.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 27, 2012. Em depoimento à polícia, falsa grávida alega problemas psicológicos. G1. February 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200205165949/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/01/em-depoimento-policia-falsa-gravida-alega-problemas-psicologicos.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. May 23, 2012. Falsa grávida de interior de SP pagará R$ 4 mil a dona de ultrassom. G1. September 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220929181420/https://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/2012/05/falsa-gravida-de-taubate-sp-pagara-r-4-mil-dona-de-ultrassom.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. November 7, 2012. Acordo judicial suspende processo contra falsa grávida de Taubaté. G1. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041855/http://g1.globo.com/sp/vale-do-paraiba-regiao/noticia/2012/11/acordo-judicial-suspende-processo-contra-falsa-gravida-de-taubate.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. December 10, 2014. Falsa grávida de Taubaté se livra de processo na Justiça por estelionato. G1. June 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210628125211/http://g1.globo.com/sp/vale-do-paraiba-regiao/noticia/2014/12/falsa-gravida-de-taubate-se-livra-de-processo-na-justica-por-estelionato.html. live.
- Book: Barbosa, Kleyson. Kleyson Barbosa. June 15, 2017. 9788555791970. São Paulo. 79. Editora Abril. Os 198 Maiores Memes Brasileiros que Você Respeita.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. February 7, 2012. Fantasia de 'falsa grávida' é a mais vendida para o carnaval em Taubaté. G1. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041857/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/carnaval/2012/noticia/2012/02/fantasia-de-falsa-gravida-e-mais-vendida-para-o-carnaval-em-taubate.html. live.
- Web site: 2019. 10.31513/linguistica.2019.v21n2a24366. Natival Almeida Simões. Neto. O padrão Xn de Taubaté]n no português brasileiro: um estudo sobre compostos sintagmáticos em perspectiva construcional]. Revista Diadorim. January 31, 2024. January 9, 2024. March 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320232521/https://revistas.ufrj.br/index.php/diadorim/article/view/24366/17779. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. April 1, 2021. Taubaté, cidade da mentira: o que há para conhecer na terra dos memes. iG Turismo. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184825/https://turismo.ig.com.br/destinos-nacionais/2021-04-01/taubate--cidade-da-mentira--o-que-ha-para-conhecer-na-terra-dos-memes.html. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 27, 2020. Parkour de Taubaté: internautas criticam as manobras radicais. Correio Braziliense. November 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211103142442/https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/app/noticia/diversao-e-arte/2020/01/27/interna_diversao_arte,823680/parkour-de-taubate-internautas-criticam-as-manobras-radicais.shtml. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. January 28, 2020. 'Parkour de Taubaté' vira meme nas redes sociais e grupo de mulheres critica brincadeiras. JC. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041855/https://jc.ne10.uol.com.br/blogs/o-viral/2020/01/28/parkour-de-taubate-vira-meme-nas-redes-sociais-e-grupo-de-mulheres-critica-brincadeiras/index.html. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. September 24, 2020. Edu Guedes lembra quando chorou pela grávida de Taubaté: 'Zoado até hoje'. iG Gente. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709220550/https://gente.ig.com.br/tvenovela/2020-09-24/edu-guedes-lembra-quando-chorou-pela-gravida-de-taubate-zoado-ate-hoje.html. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. December 19, 2020. Crítica: Podcast diverte e suscita reflexões ao investigar memes famosos. Folha de S.Paulo. June 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210603034224/https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ilustrada/2020/12/podcast-diverte-e-suscita-reflexoes-ao-investigar-memes-famosos.shtml. live.
- Web site: July 10, 2021. Escola de samba de Taubaté homenageia "Grávida de Taubaté" e é campeã. UOL. July 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710041855/https://www.uol.com.br/universa/noticias/redacao/2018/02/13/bloco-em-taubate-presta-homenagem-a-gravida-de-taubate-e-se-torna-campea.htm. live.
- Web site: May 28, 2021. February 7, 2012. Cinco podcasts para quem quer se divertir. TV Cultura. May 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210528213034/https://cultura.uol.com.br/entretenimento/noticias/2021/05/28/1081_cinco-podcasts-para-quem-quer-se-divertir.html. live.
- Web site: July 20, 2021. December 28, 2012. Renato. Ferezim. Falsa grávida muda de vida após repercussão do caso em 2012. G1. July 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210720192609/http://g1.globo.com/sp/vale-do-paraiba-regiao/noticia/2012/12/falsa-gravida-muda-de-vida-apos-repercussao-do-caso-em-2012.html. live.
- Web site: May 1, 2022. 10 anos da Grávida de Taubaté: relembre o episódio em que o país inteiro foi 'trollado'. G1. January 11, 2022. May 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220501140650/https://g1.globo.com/sp/vale-do-paraiba-regiao/noticia/2022/01/11/10-anos-da-gravida-de-taubate-relembre-o-episodio-em-que-o-pais-inteiro-foi-trolado.ghtml. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. Chris Flores pretende entrevistar a Grávida de Taubaté: "Estamos conversando". NaTelinha. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190456/https://natelinha.uol.com.br/televisao/2020/10/24/chris-flores-pretende-entrevistar-a-gravida-de-taubate-estamos-conversando-153066.php. live.
- Web site: July 9, 2021. July 6, 2021. Agressão: reencontro entre repórter e grávida de Taubaté não acaba bem. IstoÉ Independente. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184313/https://istoe.com.br/agressao-reencontro-entre-reporter-e-gravida-de-taubate-nao-acaba-bem/. live.
- Web site: Nove anos depois, tentativa de reportagem com a 'grávida de Taubaté' termina com agressão. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711145131/https://extra.globo.com/tv-e-lazer/nove-anos-depois-tentativa-de-reportagem-com-gravida-de-taubate-termina-com-agressao-25094104.html . July 11, 2021 . July 9, 2021. Extra Online. July 6, 2021.
- Web site: December 27, 2023. December 10, 2021. Chris Flores diz que já se reconciliou com a grávida de Taubaté. F5. December 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231227160123/https://f5.folha.uol.com.br/celebridades/2021/12/chris-flores-diz-que-ja-se-reconciliou-com-a-gravida-de-taubate.shtml. live.
- Web site: December 27, 2023. Chris Flores conta que já se reconciliou com a grávida de Taubaté. Veja São Paulo. December 27, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231227160122/https://vejasp.abril.com.br/coluna/pop/chris-flores-conta-que-ja-se-reconciliou-com-a-gravida-de-taubate/. live.
- Web site: December 26, 2023. September 29, 2023. História da Grávida de Taubaté vai virar filme; veja possível pôster!. Glamour. December 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231226163737/https://glamour.globo.com/entretenimento/filmes-e-series/noticia/2023/09/historia-da-gravida-de-taubate-vai-virar-filme-veja-poster.ghtml. live.
- Web site: December 26, 2023. September 28, 2023. Inspirado em Parasita, filme vai contar história da Grávida de Taubaté. Metrópoles. December 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231226163737/https://www.metropoles.com/entretenimento/inspirado-em-parasita-filme-vai-contar-historia-da-gravida-de-taubate. live.
- Web site: December 26, 2023. September 29, 2023. Roteirista de filme inspirado na grávida de Taubaté explica projeto: 'A única coisa concreta até agora é o roteiro'. Extra. December 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231226163737/https://extra.globo.com/entretenimento/noticia/2023/09/roteirista-de-filme-inspirado-na-gravida-de-taubate-explica-projeto-a-unica-coisa-concreta-ate-agora-e-o-roteiro.ghtml. live.
- Web site: December 26, 2023. October 17, 2023. Lucas Pasin: Viih Tube é convidada para interpretar a grávida de Taubaté no cinema. UOL. December 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231226163737/https://www.uol.com.br/splash/colunas/lucas-pasin/2023/10/17/viih-tube-e-convidada-para-interpretar-a-gravida-de-taubate-no-cinema.htm. live.