Bisexual influencer Pascal Kaiser has reportedly lodged a complaint after Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno engaged with a violent video by liking it.
German authorities have initiated an investigation into a Premier League football player over claims he liked an AI-generated video depicting violence at a gay pride parade, Bild has reported.
The video in question reportedly shows a car crashing into a crowd during a pride march, accompanied by text referencing a game scenario in Grand Theft Auto 6.
Last week, Pascal Kaiser, an openly bisexual football referee and content creator, reportedly filed charges of incitement to hatred against both the video’s creators and Fulham and former Germany goalkeeper Bernd Leno for liking the content.
“It is concerning enough that such offensive videos are in circulation. The fact that an individual like Leno amplifies them by liking and thereby attracting attention to them is, in my view, an additional outrage,” Pascal asserted.
Screenshots reveal Leno’s verified Instagram account, with approximately 810,000 followers, had registered a “Like” on the video. He subsequently unliked it prior to the clip’s removal from the platform.
According to the publication, Kaiser initially contacted Leno via private message, inquiring why a national team player would endorse such material, but reports suggest Leno responded by blocking him.
Following this, Kaiser urged his followers to post rainbow flag emojis on Leno’s social media feed. The goalkeeper, in turn, reportedly deactivated the comments section.
“We can confirm the filing of this complaint and that the State Security department has assumed control of the inquiry,” a police spokesperson informed Bild.
Leno’s agency, fair-sport GmbH, released a statement through the same outlet, asserting: “Bernd is a globally-minded individual. He disavows the video, which he maintains he never intentionally liked. He intends to engage legal counsel and seek access to the relevant documents.”
Leno, aged 33, is currently a player for Fulham in England’s Premier League and has represented Germany nine times, with his last appearance being against Liechtenstein in 2021.