São Paulo, Brazil – Former SBT stage assistant and producer Juliana Oliveira has filed a criminal complaint alleging sexual assault by television personality Otávio Mesquita during a 2016 taping of the late-night show The Night with Danilo Gentili. Oliveira left SBT in February 2025 after 11 years with the network.
The alleged incident occured on April 25, 2016, during mesquita’s appearance as a guest on The night. Mesquita entered the stage suspended from a cable, descending towards the stage floor. According to the criminal depiction filed with the São Paulo Public Prosecution Service (MP-SP), while Oliveira assisted in removing his safety equipment, Mesquita allegedly touched her breasts and genitalia. The complaint further details that Mesquita then held her with his legs and simulated sexual acts, followed by hugging her and making similar gestures while she was seated on the couch. the entire episode reportedly lasted approximately three minutes and was broadcast on SBT.
Following the incident, danilo Gentili, the show’s host, reportedly stated, “Juliana is making an ugly face, but I know she liked it.” Mesquita himself allegedly remarked, “I’m going to tell you something that in your story, apart from your boyfriends, no one did. Unintentionally, I tightened her big breasts… ‘It’s hard,’ ‘it’s hard.'”
Oliveira’s complaint was filed with the MP-SP after she was terminated from her position at SBT. Mesquita has dismissed the allegations as “absurd,” claiming the incident was recorded and that Oliveira is making the accusations now only because she was fired and is “upset.”
The case brings renewed attention to the issue of workplace sexual harassment and the delayed reporting of such incidents. The incident occurred nine years prior to the filing of the criminal representation.The complaint details the specific actions and statements made during the taping, providing a detailed account of the alleged assault. the show, The Night with Danilo Gentili, aired on SBT, a major Brazilian television network based in São Paulo.
Further details on Juliana Oliveira’s statement can be found here.
This article was written by Gabriel Vaquer,a journalist covering the entertainment industry for Folha de S.Paulo.
