Family feud erupts in Bolsonaro camp as Michelle accuses stepson Flávio of humiliation

How the crisis began

The conflict traces back to November 2025, when former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro publicly opposed a plan by the Liberal Party (PL) to support former presidential candidate Ciro Gomes in the Ceará gubernatorial race. At a conservative rally in Fortaleza, she argued that Gomes's past criticism of Jair Bolsonaro made an alliance incompatible with the movement's values, and urged backing of Senator Eduardo Girão instead. Flávio Bolsonaro, who had been designated by his jailed father as the PL's presidential nominee in December, called her afterward.

“He told me it would be better if I stayed out of party decisions. He said I had just arrived and understood nothing about politics.”

Shortly after, all three of Jair Bolsonaro's sons from earlier marriages, Flávio, Eduardo and Carlos, attacked Michelle on social media, accusing her of authoritarianism. She now calls that a "coordinated assault."

Accusations of humiliation

On June 24, 2026, Michelle Bolsonaro posted two videos on Instagram detailing the rift. She claimed Flávio "was very rude, disrespected me and mistreated me over the phone," and that his words left her feeling "stabbed" and "humiliated." The former first lady, who leads the PL Women's wing and remains popular among conservative voters, said she interpreted his remarks as dismissing her support as insignificant.

“Faced with this humiliation, I told him it was all right. I understood he did not want my support or that it was insignificant. And so I withdrew. I stayed in my corner and remain there.”

The videos come as Flávio's pre-campaign grapples with another scandal: leaked audio recordings in which he allegedly asked a jailed banker accused of fraud for money to fund a biopic about his father.

Flávio responds with apology

On June 25, the senator issued a public apology on social media, stating he never intended to offend his stepmother and recognized her political work. He framed the clash as a normal divergence of strategy rather than principles.

“If I did so at any moment, once again, I apologize. I have respect and recognition for her work in PL Mulher, for the care of my father and for everything she represents for Brazil.”

Flávio added that he had tried to call Michelle earlier that morning to invite her to a meeting with conservative women leaders, but she did not answer. He described the episode as a surprise.

Implications for the presidential race

The public feud exposes deepening fissures inside the Bolsonarist core and the Liberal Party just months before the October general election. Michelle's broad appeal among the right-wing faithful could undermine Flávio's ability to unify the base against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. With Jair Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup, the family's electoral machinery appears fractured at a critical moment.