The estranged wife of disgraced footballer Dani Alves has deleted her Instagram account just hours after he was released on bail after serving a quarter of his rape sentence.
Supermodel Joana Sanz revealed last year that she had filed for divorce after the allegations against the ex-Barcelona player came to light, but showed her support for him both online and in court.
Alves, 40, was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on New Year’s Eve 2022 after his three-day trial last month, and has been held in Barcelona’s Brians 2 prison since January 2023.
He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, a decision his lawyers are now appealing, and yesterday he was told he could be released on bail once he paid a €1 million (£850,000) compensation.
Tenerife-born Sanz has since deactivated her Instagram account, which had almost 1 million followers, amid questions over whether she did so in response to the court’s decision.
Joana Sanz (photo) previously posted a selfie on Instagram shortly after her husband was sentenced to four and a half years in prison
Alves, 40, was found guilty of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on New Year’s Eve 2022
Supermodel Joana Sanz revealed last year that she had filed for divorce after the allegations against the ex-Barcelona player came to light (pictured together in London in 2021)
During the process, the 30-year-old model went through an acrimonious split with her husband of eight years, which was confirmed in late April 2023.
But the couple are still thought to be married, as she revealed during her court testimony last month that they were not yet legally divorced.
She was seen accompanying him to the courthouse at the start of his three-day rape trial, which began on February 5, and it initially appeared as if she attended the trial to support him.
But during his trial she told the judge he smelled of alcohol when he arrived at their home on the night of the attack.
She caused confusion again when her husband was sentenced, posting a defiant selfie to her Instagram shortly after he had spent four and a half years behind bars.
It’s unclear why the 30-year-old model’s account, which had an associated Threads page, disappeared.
Tenerife-born Sanz regularly shared content showcasing her jet-set lifestyle and luxury clothing with her 949,000 Instagram fans.
Joana Sanz, 31, was accused of an extraordinary lack of judgment after saying on social media that she would like to have her hair pulled and have sex against a wall
Tenerife-born Sanz (pictured) sparked controversy with a post in support of her estranged husband
But she also received backlash for a controversial Threads post about sex, shared just a week after Alves was convicted of rape.
She wrote on Threads, an Instagram app where social media users can view and share public conversations: ‘Right now I would love to have my hair pulled out and ‘f**ked’ against a wall. It would renew my energy.’
Spanish media and social media users have reacted with disbelief and anger to her comments, calling them “disgraceful” and saying she “lacked empathy.”
Sanz defended her comments during an Instagram Live, saying, “It seems unbelievable to me that I have to justify everything I say or do.
‘People take everything out of context and then the same few people as always repeat it.
‘I can’t believe what’s being said.
‘The threads I publish are spontaneous things that arise from thoughts.
“Stop linking things to the lawsuit or Dani or anything else. These are things that have to do with my life. I also have a life that runs parallel to that.’
Dani Alves’ ex Joana Sanz (left) revealed she filed for divorce last year after the allegations against Alves came to light
She added: “Yes folks, let’s not be puritanical now. It fascinates me. I’m fascinated by that passion, that fervor when they grab your hair, kiss you and eat you whole.
‘And that’s fine too. I’m talking about me personally, about what I like and, well, everyone can do whatever they want in their privacy and with mutual respect.
“And what bothers me most is that people are taking this out of context and associating it with a legal issue that has absolutely nothing to do with this.”
The mother of two also sparked controversy with a recent post in support of her estranged husband.
The Brazilian, who spent eight years at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, won used to be removed from their official list of club legends after being found guilty of rape.
However, she appeared to celebrate his return to Barcelona’s club legends list earlier this month, writing on her Instagram Story: “To Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
However, the club made an about-face just days later and reinstated him on their roster in a decision that appeared to be celebrated by his ex-wife, Sanz.
She wrote “To Caesar what is Caesar’s” on her Instagram Story alongside a photo of Alves celebrating in a Barcelona shirt.
Speculation has been rife about the state of the couple’s relationship since the rape allegation against Alves first came to light.
He initially claimed that he had never met the woman he sexually assaulted, but later changed his story to say that although he did meet her, his encounter with her was completely consensual and there was no sexual assault .
This was the first time he admitted to cheating on his wife. He told Spanish media in June 2023: ‘The only person I have to apologize to is my wife, Joana Sanz.’
June 2023 marked the first time Alves publicly apologized for cheating on his wife
Sanz was seen holding hands with Alves’ mother, Lucia, on the second day of the Brazilian footballer’s trial
Joana Sanz, Alves’ wife, walked into the Barcelona courtroom to give evidence
‘The woman I married eight years ago, who I am still married to, and who I hope to live with all my life.
“I have already apologized to her personally here in prison, but I have to do it publicly because the story is public, the offense is public and she deserves a public apology.
“These are, are and will be very difficult days for her. I thank her for everything she does for me. Her role is not an easy one. I love her and during this time in prison I have thought a lot about our marriage.
‘I am sure that it was not wrong to choose Joana as my wife. Although she may have made a mistake with me.”