Gabi Garcia recently made allegations of domestic violence and financial exploitation against her estranged husband, Bruno Almeida.
Garcia accused her ex-husband of physically abusing her while they were still married. The nine-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu said that she had been the victim of domestic abuse for the previous two years. However, UFC competitor Paulo Costa doesn’t believe these claims.
Garcia detailed the horrific circumstances of her abuse in an Instagram post, revealing the full scope of her trauma. As proof of her harassment, she posted a video compilation of screenshots and pictures. She said that her spouse often threatened to kill her family while allegedly hitting her and stealing from her.
In the video, she shed light on the unimaginable abuse she endured at the hands of her estranged husband. Through in-video captions, Garcia detailed the harrowing experiences she faced.
She wrote: “The time has come. It’s time to be brave and tell everyone why I’ve been away for the past two years. They were the worst years of my life… I didn’t think this could ever happen. That someone could be so bad…A person who has money and asked for a pension, my purses, my earrings. Asking for my house. Using the name Garcia.”
Garcia continued: “Married, with a son, and using my last name… That guy won’t divorce me. Even with a restraining order and the Maria da Penha law by my side, he didn’t stop. There are 19 cases of fraud on my credit card, closed my accounts in three different banks. I would get home to no water, no power. He took the money from my payments.”
Garcia’s ex husband released a statement claiming that all of the evidence she provided was ‘fabricated’.
While numerous individuals expressed sympathy and support for Gabi Garcia, Paulo Costa chose a different path. Known for his penchant for online trolling and the self-proclaimed title of ‘Meme God,’ Costa made light of Garcia’s allegations.
Costa humorously questioned if Garcia had been married to Thanos, the famous Marvel supervillain. He tweeted: “Who the hell was the husband, Thanos?”
Unquestionably, Gabi Garcia is one of the most successful combat sports athletes. The 37-year-old martial has won 4 ADCC submission grappling world championships, 9 IBJJF championships, and 11 pan championships. She is also unbeaten in MMA with a 6-1-0 record (1 being a no contest due to an eye poke).