The controversy surrounding Bishop Eduardo Costa continued as new images came to light, according to Correio Braziliense. Local outlets said they received a second video that showed Costa walking in the street dressed as a woman; in that footage he wore a thong and a wig.
The first video was recorded on Sunday, August 10, in the Setor Urias Magalhães neighborhood of Goiânia and showed Costa walking calmly while observing street activity and a nearby bar. It went viral on August 11 after the page Goiânia Mil Graus shared it. In the images, Costa wore a blue thong, a tight white women’s T-shirt, and a blonde wig, and at one point adjusted his underwear, according to Terra.
As the footage spread, online rumors about Costa resurfaced. “At the time, I worked for him. His wife, who is now ex, caught him in a little red dress near the motels. It was the biggest mess. I saw everything,” a woman said, according to Bored Panda. Goiânia Mil Graus received comments from users who claimed to have seen Costa in similar situations, Terra reported. Some locals began calling him a symbol of evangelical hypocrisy as the controversy unfolded, Terra reported.
In response, Costa recorded a video with his wife, missionary Valquíria Costa, and called the episode a misunderstanding. “I dressed in women’s clothing to do a personal investigation about a personal situation related to finding the right place,” said Costa.
“Someone secretly filmed me while hiding in the dark and later attempted to extort me for money to prevent the video from being released,” said Costa. “We decided not to give in to the extortion attempt,” said Costa, according to Bored Panda. “In the wrong way, I ended up putting on a wig and shorts to try to locate an address,” said Costa.
Costa said the person gave him until noon the next day to pay and also tried to contact his wife for money. “I had already told my wife I was conducting this investigation. She just didn’t know some details, such as the way I had gone about it,” before turning to her and adding, “Right, my love?” said Costa.
Costa classified the case as attempted illegal embarrassment and improper use of image but did not say whether he planned legal action. He did not specify whether he contacted the police.
The scene spread widely online and drew a flood of comments and speculation. Many users expressed concern for his wife in the video, while others ridiculed Costa’s explanation and questioned his account. Some condemned the alleged extortion and the ethics of filming without consent even as they criticized Costa’s behavior.
Despite having about 1,600 followers on his private Instagram, Costa was known for his gospel song Barrabás, which had more than 56,000 views on YouTube.
Written with the help of a news-analysis system.