Neymar sued by former chef who claims 16-hour shifts cooking for 150 people left her with serious injuries

Brazilian football star Neymar is facing a lawsuit from a former personal chef who claims that gruelling working conditions at his mansion left her with permanent physical injuries, in the latest off-field legal trouble for the Santos forward.

The woman worked at Neymar’s property in Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, from July 2025 to February 2026. Her contract allegedly required a standard shift from 7am to 5pm, but she claims the workload often stretched far beyond that. In reality, her shifts frequently extended until 11pm or even midnight, and she was required to work weekends despite her contract specifying weekdays only.

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The former employee alleges she sometimes worked up to 16 hours a day, regularly preparing meals for more than 150 people daily at the mansion. She says the demanding schedule left her without proper rest or breaks and eventually caused serious health problems, including spinal injuries from carrying heavy supplies and working long hours. The heavy workload required her to carry cuts of meat weighing around 10kg and unload numerous bags of groceries, which the lawsuit claims caused back pain and hip arthritis.

She is seeking R$262,000, approximately €43,000 in compensation covering unpaid overtime, damages, medical costs, and a possible pension. The case is expected to go through Brazil’s labour courts. Neymar has not publicly commented on the allegations.