Comedian faces €1 Million lawsuit over satirical video
The pop duo "Anjos" claim the parody of their performance of the national anthem led to cancelled concerts, delayed music releases, lost sponsorships, and a surge in online abuse.
The high-profile legal battle between comedian Joana Marques and pop duo Anjos (“Angels”) began this week at Lisbon’s Palácio da Justiça.
The Rosado brothers, Nelson and Sérgio, are suing the popular humorist for over €1 million in damages, alleging that a satirical video she published in 2023 caused reputational and financial harm.
The case stems from a segment on Marques’ widely followed radio show Extremamente Desagradável (“Extremely Unpleasant”), in which she mocked the duo’s performance of the Portuguese national anthem at the MotoGP event in 2022 in Portimão, Algarve.
The video (here), posted on April 25, 2023, included edited footage of the performance overlaid with critical commentary taken from the talent show Ídolos (“Idols”).
It was captioned, “Was this what the 25th of April was for?”
Complaint
The Anjos claim the parody led to cancelled concerts, delayed music releases, lost sponsorships, and a surge in online abuse.
They argue that the satire distorted their performance and triggered a wave of bullying and nationalist threats.
“We were accused of murdering the national anthem,” Nelson Rosado testified, adding that the video omitted crucial lyrics, altering the meaning of their rendition.
He also revealed he had to seek psychological help and take antidepressants due to the backlash.
Marques’ reaction
Joana Marques, arriving at court on June 17, dismissed the trial as a misuse of judicial resources.
“I think we’re all wasting valuable time,” she told reporters.
Despite her skepticism, she said she was “ready to speak” and defend her work.
The court must now weigh whether Marques’ parody falls within the bounds of free speech or crosses into defamation and reputational harm.
It will also assess the legitimacy and scale of the damages claimed by the Rosado brothers.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 30.
Background
“Extremamente Desagradável” has consistently been one of the most listened to podcasts in Portugal, with millions of listens on Spotify and iTunes, and millions of views on YouTube.
In March 2025, the podcast was honoured by Spotify for reaching 50 million plays on the platform.
Each episode focuses on a case or news item from the national media, with a scathing satirical critique of what is said in television interviews, on other radio stations, on social media or in podcasts.
For satirising public figures or those who expose themselves in the media or on the Internet in Extremamente Desagradável, Joana Marques is often accused of bullying.
In 2021, Marques was a finalist for the award for best comedian of the year in Portugal, at the Hiena Awards. She was the only female candidate.
In both 2022 and 2023, she received the Golden Globe for Digital Personality of the Year at the Portuguese Golden Globes, despite not having any exclusive content on the Internet.
In April 2024 she was ranked ninth on a list of the 25 most influential women in Portugal in 2023 by the Executiva web site, which is a web site for women.