Former Chelsea and Barcelona star Pedro has sparked a fierce online backlash after sharing birthday photos of his eight-year-old son Marc wearing a dress and tiara.
The pictures showed Pedro alongside his ex-wife Carolina Martin, celebrating Marc’s birthday at a waterpark in Tenerife. Marc was smiling in his outfit, sitting in front of a ‘Lilo & Stitch’ cake.
Pedro and Martin co-parent three children together, having divorced in 2017 after two years of marriage.
Still, the pair appeared united as they came together to celebrate Marc’s birthday – clearly focused on creating a joyful, memorable day for their son.
The heartwarming family moment, however, was soon overshadowed by a wave of online hate, with some social media users criticising Pedro for allowing his eight-year-old son to wear a dress.
One Instagram troll sneered: ‘Don’t fall for the programming bro, raise your son as a man because this ain’t it.’
Former Chelsea and Barcelona star Pedro has come under fire online for his parenting choices
Pedro allowed his eight-year-old son – Marc – to wear a dress and a tiara on his birthday
Marc looked overjoyed as he celebrated his big day with a ‘Lilo and Stitch’ cake at a waterpark in Tenerife
Another user asked: ‘Bro what is wrong with u?’
A third commented: ‘Everything that was once abnormal is normal today.’
Pedro’s actions split opinions, with many fans also sharing their admiration for the Spaniard’s open-minded approach to parenting.
One said: ‘You are an EXEMPLARY father, especially to the footballing world around you; all of them should learn from you and your family.’
A second wrote: ‘We all knew that you were a champion on the field, now we also know that you are a great person and a wonderful dad.’
Another commented: ‘Very good Pedro that you respect your son and leave him free to experiment and choose and then understand who he really is. Happy birthday Marc.’
Pedro, 37, currently plays for Serie A side Lazio, having moved there from Roma in 2021.
Pedro, 37, currently plays for Lazio in Serie A after joining from fellow Italian club Roma in 2021
He played at Chelsea between 2015 and 2020, making 206 appearances for the London club
Having climbed up Barcelona’s academy ranks, Pedro rose to the top of football in Spain
Earlier in his career, the winger starred at Chelsea between 2015 and 2020, where he won a Premier League title and an FA Cup.
Pedro scored 43 goals in 206 appearances for the west London club, before moving to Italian top-flight as a free agent.
He arrived at Stamford Bridge from Barcelona, having risen through La Masia’s academy ranks.
He won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and the European Championship two years later. In 869 senior club appearances, Pedro has scored 210 goals and won 25 trophies.
