The Football Association (FA) has made the decision to pull a new cookery show that was set to feature rapper Yung Filly alongside top England players. This action comes in the wake of the rapper facing charges of rape and assault.
The rapper and YouTuber, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, was arrested in Australia while on tour. The accusations stem from an incident where he allegedly assaulted a woman in a hotel room in Perth following a performance at a nightclub in the city.
Initially, the FA had announced a partnership with Barrientos for a series called Freestyle Cooking, as part of its Greater Game campaign aimed at promoting healthy eating and wellbeing among young people and their families. The show was to include appearances by England football stars Bukayo Saka, Ezri Konsa, and Jarrod Bowen and was planned for distribution on various platforms including Youtube, England Football’s social media pages, and Yung Filly’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.
However, following Barrientos’s arrest in Brisbane and subsequent extradition to Perth, the FA swiftly removed the show and all related promotional content from its channels. The 29-year-old internet personality appeared in Perth Magistrates Court, facing charges of three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and four counts of sexual penetration without consent. The prosecution presented photos of the woman’s injuries allegedly caused by Barrientos, stating that the circumstances were beyond what could be considered consensual.
Barrientos, known for his work with the YouTube collective Beta Squad and appearances on BBC and Channel 4 shows, is currently at the center of a legal case that has attracted significant attention. The Independent has reached out to both the FA and representatives for Yung Filly for comment on the matter.