Brazilian musician Ed Motta is facing a police summons following a chaotic incident at a Rio de Janeiro restaurant. The singer has been called to provide testimony regarding a disturbance that occurred at the Grado restaurant in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood last weekend.
The summons was delivered to Motta's wife, Edna, on Thursday, May 7th. She informed the authorities that her husband is currently traveling. His deposition has been scheduled for the following Tuesday, May 12th.
The incident, which took place around midnight on Saturday, May 2nd, reportedly began when Motta became agitated over a "corkage fee." This is a standard charge restaurants apply when customers bring their own alcoholic beverages. At the time, the restaurant had two occupied tables: Motta's party of eight and a couple at a neighboring table.
Security footage and witness accounts paint a picture of escalating chaos. As Motta's group was leaving, the singer allegedly grabbed a chair from an empty table and threw it into the dining area. The chair reportedly bounced off a table and grazed a waiter. While passing the adjacent table, Motta is said to have bumped into a woman's purse, knocking it over.
The situation deteriorated further after Motta departed with one of the women from his party. About ten minutes later, the remaining members of his group began a heated argument with the couple at the next table. This verbal confrontation quickly turned physical.
One of the patrons from the neighboring table provided a statement to police, claiming he was punched by one of Motta's friends and struck by a thrown bottle. He reported needing seven stitches for a head wound. The restaurant's owners corroborated this account, stating a chair was thrown at a waiter and a wine bottle was intentionally hurled at the patron's head.
Ed Motta has offered his own perspective on the events. He admitted to losing his temper, stating, "The whole confusion started with me. I got irritated and lost control. I was drunk and threw a chair on the floor, but I did not throw a chair toward the employee. Never." He asserted that security cameras would prove nothing was thrown at anyone. Motta also claimed that after he left, the conflict escalated because his friends were subjected to homophobic and xenophobic insults from the other table when they attempted to apologize.
The case was initially registered at the 15th Police District (Gávea) as a charge of bodily injury. Diogo Coutinho do Couto, who was dining with Motta, has also been summoned to testify.
Based on reporting from g1.