Fights, professional news and legal action: what 2024 was like for Rafael Cardoso

“Chaos around, focus inside. Each attack strengthens my shield, each battle teaches me more. Resilience is the weapon of those who don’t give up. Anyone who is in the game knows: it’s about learning, growing and never stopping.” This phrase written by actor Rafael Cardoso, 40, in one of his last publications on the web sums up the troubled year he went through.

From a fight in court, loss of contact with his children to accusations of assault, Cardoso’s 2024 had ups and downs (perhaps more downs than ups, it must be said).

The year started with the actor in a bad moment professionally. His last work on TV had been a participation in the soap opera “Terra e Paixão” (2023). He played a doctor who got involved with Agatha (Eliane Giardini) and, months later, his contract with Globo ended early.

At that point, he was already separated from influencer Mari Bridi, 39, and no longer had much contact with the two children he had with her: Aurora, 10, and Valentim, 6. He had also made homophobic jokes with a crop top worn by actor João Guilherme and was exposed by some influencers who claimed that they were repeatedly courted by him on the web, some of them even during their marriage.

In February this year, another episode that helped to erode the actor’s relationship with the public: CCTV footage from a bar in Rio showed Cardoso attacking a 64-year-old man. The Civil Police began investigating the case. Two months later, he paid a fine of two minimum wages to have the case closed.

Rafael Cardoso admitted responsibility for the crime and his press office stated at the time that he was under the influence of medication at the time of the fight, but that “this did not justify the error”.

After some time away from social media, Cardoso returned to his profile in June to show the results of facial harmonization. The appearance did not bring any bonus to his image, on the contrary: many followers criticized him.

Since then, in all of Cardoso’s posts there has been someone insulting him, and there have been many times when he has responded to criticism directly. On that same occasion, he said more clearly that he hadn’t been able to see his children for a year, and yet another personal scandal emerged from the private sphere.

Mari Bridi countered him. On social media, the influencer said that her ex-husband was legally prevented from approaching the children and that society normalized cases of emotional and psychological violence.

Despite the proceedings being under judicial secrecy, Cardoso returned to the web to give his version after the confrontation appeared in the media. He denied that he had attacked his ex-wife and heirs and stated that he never laid a single finger on the family.

“I have never laid a finger on my children or their mother. I was bombarded with news about two cases that are being carried out in secret. As we cannot expose minors, I come here to say that none of them are about attacking my children’s mother or their them,” he began.

“I have always been a real father, as everyone has been following all these years. I never used their image to benefit myself. I never wanted to expose the situation, but I receive a flood of comments stating things that are not reality”, he said.

Information also came to light that Globo journalist Sônia Bridi, Mari’s mother, had opened a lawsuit for psychological and property violence after Cardoso allegedly invaded her house and broke valuable belongings in a fit of rage, in 2023. In In his profile, the actor refuted what he called “news from a year or so ago” and said that the authorities were taking care of everything. “Everything that happens is a learning experience and builds us up.”

Parallel to all this, Cardoso continues to be in a relationship with psychologist Carol Ferraz, with whom he has Helena, who turns 1 at the end of November. Professionally, in addition to managing companies, in September he recorded scenes for a film about the Festa do Peão de Barretos, which does not yet have a released release date.

In the story by director Márcio Trigo and script by Claudio Torres Gonzaga, Ana Amélia (Marjorie Gerardi) lives on a farm and has the dream of becoming successful as a singer. She has a relationship with João Donato, a role played by Cardoso.