Uh, that was mean. No baby for Medina. Photo: WSL
After the internet fawned over social media posts that implied Gabriel Medina and his girlfriend Isabella Arantes were expecting their first child, it turns out there is no baby. The news was all part of a PR stunt to launch Medina’s new children’s surf brand.
“It’s Medina’s new project, Medininha. It’s something new aimed at children, and that’s why they did the posts,” said Arantes’ representatives.
The ruse fooled more than just fans — Mick Fanning, Jack Robinson, Filipe Toledo, Molly Picklum, and even the official WSL account all commented their congratulations on the post.
While the three-time world champ and Arantes never explicitly said they were expecting, they certainly implied it. Medina shared a photo of an ultrasound showing a baby on a surfboard, followed by a couple’s photo in the classic “expecting parents” pose. Arantes added fuel to the fire, posting Instagram stories joking that she wanted “to kill” Medina for leaking the news, along with posts suggesting she was going to be a mother.
But it was all part of the stunt — and it worked. Medina’s post racked up more than 300,000 likes and nearly 5,000 comments, far outperforming his recent content. The new Medininha account quickly gained over 16,000 followers.
The kids’ brand currently offers mini soft-top surfboards and leashes, promoting the idea of getting children involved in surfing early to develop motor skills and promote reading and imagination.
Now, if Medina ever does have a baby, will anyone believe him after he cried wolf? He might need to show some official proof next time.
