Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal’s star-studded 18th birthday bash has sparked a firestorm after Spain’s leading dwarfism advocacy group accused the footballer of discriminatory conduct for reportedly hiring individuals with dwarfism as party entertainment.
Held at a luxury finca in Olivella near Sitges on Saturday, the celebration drew around 250 high-profile guests from the sports and music worlds, including Barcelona teammates Gavi and Alejandro Balde, rapper El Alfa, and F1 driver Charles Leclerc.
Themed as a lavish “gangster” party, the event featured heavy security, a no-phone policy, and a 300,000-pound ($404,469) diamond chain gifted to Yamal by El Alfa.
But the night of celebration quickly turned into a PR nightmare.
The Spanish Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE) issued a sharply worded statement on Sunday, condemning the event for reportedly hiring individuals with dwarfism as entertainers.
The group called the move “dehumanizing” and “intolerable,” vowing to pursue legal and social action against Yamal for promoting harmful stereotypes.
“It’s unacceptable that in the 21st century, people with dwarfism are still used as amusement at private parties – especially when it involves high-profile figures like Lamine Yamal,” ADEE president Carolina Puente said. “The dignity and rights of our community are not entertainment.”
Reports suggest a group of performers, including a singer known to have dwarfism, were transported to the venue by minibus.
Spanish outlets such as AS and Cadena SER noted visual similarities to controversial party scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street, although no confirmed evidence has emerged of explicit mockery or demeaning activity.
ADEE argues that regardless of the performers’ consent, the act reinforces societal prejudice and violates Spanish laws protecting the rights and dignity of people with disabilities.
Spain outlawed bullfighting shows involving individuals with dwarfism in 2023, further tightening regulations on such entertainment.
Critics online have questioned ADEE’s motives, pointing out the lack of concrete evidence and the possibility that the performers were simply hired for their artistic talent.
Others defended the organization’s stance, highlighting the long history of objectification faced by people with dwarfism in the entertainment industry.
The backlash is the latest in a string of headlines involving Yamal, who was recently spotted without a seatbelt and caught in another tabloid flap with his girlfriend.
Still, the 18-year-old winger remains one of football’s brightest rising stars.
Valued at 200 million euros ($234 million), Yamal has already helped lead Barcelona to a La Liga and Copa del Rey double and was instrumental in Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 triumph.
Now set to don the legendary No. 10 shirt, Yamal is seen as a future Ballon d’Or winner.
But the controversy over his birthday party underscores the scrutiny that accompanies superstardom.
Neither Yamal nor FC Barcelona has commented publicly.
The outcome of ADEE’s legal threat could set a precedent for how public figures approach inclusive and ethical event planning.
