Nuno Homem de Sá sentenced to suspended prison term for domestic violence
The Court of Viseu sentenced Portuguese actor Nuno Homem de Sá to two years and three months in prison, suspended for the same period, for abusing his former partner Nádia Lopes.
Court ruling and proven abuse
On 30 September 2026, the Court of Viseu convicted Portuguese actor Nuno Homem de Sá of domestic violence against his former partner Nádia Lopes. The judge handed down a prison sentence of two years and three months, suspended for an equal period. The court also ordered Homem de Sá to pay 1,750 euros in compensation to Lopes, prohibited him from contacting her or approaching her residence and workplace, and mandated his attendance in a domestic violence prevention programme for perpetrators.
The court found that Homem de Sá inflicted psychological suffering and endangered Lopes's health while they resided together in Loures. Proven conduct included restricting her telephone use, preventing her from taking prescribed medication, and forcing her to take cold showers to save gas. The ruling established that Lopes avoided leaving the house due to fear of the actor's hostile reactions, as he repeatedly interrogated her by asking where she was going and with whom she planned to speak. Lopes also reduced contact with relatives, only reaching out to friends and family to request financial assistance to maintain the household. The judge cited direct verbal abuse that aggravated Lopes's anxiety, including insults in which the actor accused her of being a prostitute hired to ruin his life.
Context and relationship history
Homem de Sá and Lopes met in December 2023 via Instagram and began living together at the actor's residence in Loures a few days later. The relationship lasted three months and ended in March 2024 when Lopes returned to Viseu. The court found that several additional accusations remained unproven, including allegations that the actor threatened to publish intimate recordings of the couple or fabricated fake social media profiles to target her reputation.
- Nuno Homem de Sá and Nádia Lopes meet on Instagram and move in together
- Relationship ends after Lopes returns to Viseu
- Torres Vedras court gives Homem de Sá a three-year suspended sentence involving Frederica Lima
- Viseu court hands down a suspended sentence of two years and three months involving Nádia Lopes
The Viseu ruling marks the actor's second domestic violence conviction within a three-month span. In June 2026, the Court of Torres Vedras sentenced Homem de Sá to a three-year suspended prison term for domestic violence committed against another former partner, Frederica Lima.
Defense response and appeal
Homem de Sá strongly rejected the verdict, criticizing the judicial process and asserting that proceedings in provincial courts lacked fairness.
Unfortunately we have a cowardly justice system that more quickly gains information through the media, instead of doing a decent investigation.
The actor added that judges should be replaced with artificial intelligence and stated that the case would not have ended in a conviction if tried in Lisbon or Loures.
Defense attorney Alexandre Guerreiro confirmed plans to lodge an appeal against the ruling and the compensation order. Guerreiro argued that Homem de Sá entered the courtroom already presumed guilty. He noted that Lopes had published a video immediately following the separation stating that the relationship had ended amicably, but subsequently filed a domestic violence complaint two days after meeting Lima more than three months later.
Prosecution and victim representation
Henrique Albuquerque, the lawyer representing Lopes, welcomed the decision delivered by the court with the support of the Public Prosecutor's Office. Albuquerque noted that the evidence demonstrated sustained mistreatment during the cohabitation period, fulfilling all legal requirements for a domestic violence conviction.
