MADRID, SPAIN – Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights has requested a prosecutor’s investigation into Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, following allegations that he hired individuals with dwarfism to perform at his 18th birthday party. The incident has drawn criticism from disability rights groups who deem such entertainment discriminatory.
The party, held on Sunday at a rented property near Barcelona, reportedly included YouTubers, influencers, and several of Yamal’s teammates. The Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias in Spain (ADEE) publicly denounced the alleged hiring, describing it as “unacceptable in the 21st century” and arguing it “perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination, and undermines the image and rights” of people with disabilities. The Directorate General for People with Disabilities, part of the Ministry of Social Rights, confirmed they have asked the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate potential violations of disability rights law. Spain’s general law on the rights of persons with disabilities explicitly prohibits “shows or recreational activities in which people with disabilities… are used to provoke mockery, ridicule, or derision.”
However, a performer claiming to have been at the party told Spanish radio station RAC1 that there was no disrespect. “No-one disrespected us, we worked in peace,” the anonymous artist stated, adding, “We’re normal people, who do what we want, in an absolutely legal way. We work as entertainers. Why can’t we do it? Because of our physical condition?” The performer described an hour-long show involving dancing and magic, after which the entertainers joined the party, asserting that “Everyone had a great time.” Barcelona Football Club has stated it is “not in a position to comment on an act that falls strictly within the private sphere” but would reassess its position once “concrete information” is available.
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