“We are not here to Honor His Stupid Pride.” This shocking saying of the legendary MC Joey de León on live broadcast has immediately become the focus of global controversy. In the famous entertainment program “¡Come Bulaga!”, De León suddenly attacked Max Verstappen and his historic victory in Formula 1, calling the pride of the Dutch driver “stupid” and “not worthy of honor.” The poisonous words not only made the audience in the studio dumbfounded but also created an intense wave of indignation from the F1 fan community around the world.
In just a few hours, social networks exploded with hundreds of thousands of comments and hashtag #respectmax, #boycottCommulaga climbing the top global trends. Fans from the Netherlands, Europe, to Asia simultaneously asked for official apology and appropriate punishment. A Dutch fan angrily wrote: “Max has tried his life to reach this peak. Proud of success is nothing wrong. It is embarrassing to ridicule it.” That anger quickly spread, turning a familiar TV show into the focus of criticism.
What makes this scandal more fierce is the number of financial losses. Just five hours after Verstappen gave an official feedback, “¡come Bulaga!” Record a loss of more than 20 million USD. The sponsors simultaneously withdraw their contracts, many brands declare to terminate cooperation, while international broadcast agreements are suspended. A seemingly invincible television empire now stood by the shore collapsed, all just because of the lack of control of a veteran MC.
The irony is that Verstappen himself, who is offended, is the one who handled this situation as calm. Before the press, he did not lose his temper or retaliation, but only gently emphasized: “The pride of his work and achievement is something that should be appreciated. If my success can inspire someone to pursue dreams, that pride is completely worth it.” It was this calm and calm that made the image of Verstappen even more bright, completely opposite to the collapse of De León.
Meanwhile, Joey de León’s career is at risk of closing in scandal. Some sources in the entertainment industry revealed that no television station dared to defend him after this historic fall. The image of a legendary MC is now associated with scandals, with disrespect, and can become a stain that never was washed.
This incident is not only a personal case, but also an expensive lesson about the power of words. In the sports world, where the champions are the inspiration of millions of people, mocking their pride means insulting the whole fan community. Joey De León lost his career in just a few seconds of extravagant, while Max Verstappen asserted his position as a champion not only on the track but also in the hearts of fans.
