Thalía, former partner of Cuban singer Velito El Bufón and mother of his two children, posted a video on Instagram with a message that set social media on fire: "No single mother here, I’m a single woman, my kids are not looking for a dad."
The post, featuring her kneeling and kissing one of her children, accumulated over 409,000 views, 95,040 likes, and 1,617 comments in less than 24 hours.
The message arrived a day after Velito posted on his Instagram stories an intimate video with his new girlfriend, Paula Martínez, a cabin crew member who he was first seen with in Spain in March, sharing kisses, caresses, and the text "I love you" superimposed.
What made Velito's post so controversial is that it coincided exactly with Thalía's 21st birthday and just two months after the birth of Thiago, the couple's second child, who was born on February 9th.
Thalía did not mention her ex or any specific person in the video, but many users interpreted the message as an indirect response to the media storm created by Velito's posts.
The support in the comments was overwhelming and nearly unanimous.
"This closing thing suits you very well," they said. "That's correct, there's no pain or resentment here, it's just the way things are, because when a mature woman knows who she is in someone's life, words are unnecessary."
The most popular comment was simply "Thalía, shut up," while another noted: "Everyone here knows who so-and-so is in so-and-so's life."
There were certainly voices that defended Velito as a good father, and a minor secondary debate arose regarding the kiss that Thalía gives her son in the picture.
The breakup between the two became public on February 20, when Thalía announced it on Instagram Stories explaining: "I just gave birth and for the sake of my well-being, I didn't want it to become controversial."
Velito had left Cuba on February 12, just three days after Thiago's birth, to begin a tour in Europe.
In parallel to his new relationship, the singer released songs that his fans interpret as dedicated to his ex: "Cuidámela" on April 9, with verses like "I know I hurt her by swimming with other fish... but I hope you're happy, if you truly deserve it," and the preview of "Te echo de menos" on Tuesday, with a release anticipated for this week.
The combination of songs about the ex and romantic videos with the new partner earned Velito the nickname "the Shakiro of Cuba" among his followers.
At just 21 years old, Thalía remains the center of conversation on Cuban social media and among the diaspora, and the debate surrounding her message shows no signs of dying down.
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