Kyra Gracie denounces harassment in sportVideo playback
Published 05/02/2026 08:16 | Updated 02/05/2026 08:31
Rio – Eight-time jiu-jitsu world champion, Kyra Gracie revealed that she was a victim of harassment in the sport, in addition to witnessing several other cases. In a video published on YouTube, actor Malvino Salvador’s wife gave details of what happened and denounced the disrespect and abuse that takes place behind the scenes of competitions.
“I decided a long time ago that I couldn’t be silent anymore. And that was liberating for me,” said Kyra. Soon after, she recalled an abusive situation she experienced: “‘Imagine you naked inside my kimono keiko’. An elderly man saying that to a girl. And that girl was me, 18 or 19 years old. He approached me, saying he wanted to sponsor me, and I froze. When he was at events, he would appear, I would hide. I froze again. He made a mistake, and I kept quiet. I kept that until now because the environment silences women a lot.”
The black belt highlighted that being part of the Gracie family, which helped popularize jiu-jitsu in Brazil, did not shield her from harassment. “I’ve been through many embarrassing and harassing situations, and I’m sure that if I weren’t part of the Gracie family it would be much worse.”
Kyra said that the ‘man’ who harassed her continues to sponsor “events and girls in sport”. “That’s why I need you to join this fight too. What happens behind the scenes in jiu-jitsu is not an exception. It’s a system-wide problem. It’s part of the culture of jiu-jitsu. And it’s been passed down from generation to generation. I’ve witnessed hundreds of cases, and for a long time I was afraid to speak out.”
“I know I’m going to be criticized for just speaking out now, but silence only protects the aggressors. And every day there are more reports of harassment against teachers and renowned names in the fighting world. Of course, all cases must be investigated by the courts, but I want to say that these types of reports don’t take me by surprise. Anyone who has lived in this environment knows that situations like this are treated as normal. Most women in jiu-jitsu have already gone through something similar. And the environment of jiu-jitsu competition is indeed very dangerous for girls and women, with very few exceptions”, he added.
Kyra’s report came after Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter André Galvão, leader of the Atos team, from San Diego, USA, was accused of sexual harassment by an 18-year-old student. Galvão denied the accusations and stated that he would take the necessary legal measures.
Watch Kyra’s report:
