SBT president Daniela Beyruti spoke with deputy Erika Hilton after transphobic comments by host Ratinho, but the network denies she initiated the contact. The lawmaker confirmed the exchange, in which Beyruti apologized on behalf of the broadcaster. The incident followed Ratinho's statements on his show on the night of March 11, 2026.
On the night of March 11, 2026, host Ratinho made comments deemed transphobic during his program on SBT, sparking backlash and criticism from federal deputy Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP). The next day, March 12, there was contact between Hilton and Daniela Abravanel Beyruti, SBT president and daughter of Silvio Santos.
According to SBT, in a statement to Metrópoles, it was Erika Hilton who initiated the communication by sending a letter and calling Beyruti. The network denied that the president sought out the lawmaker on her own. Hilton confirmed this on social media, stating: “I sent a letter and contacted the ‘President’ of SBT, Daniela Abravanel. She attended promptly, we talked, and she reinforced that the statements by host Ratinho do not represent SBT's opinion”.
In contrast, Folha de S.Paulo reported that Beyruti phoned Hilton to apologize for Ratinho's comments. The deputy also confirmed the conversation, highlighting the incident's severity in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on March 13: “What happened yesterday is extremely serious and reveals a worrying escalation in hate speech and the caricaturization of trans and travesti people”.
SBT emphasized that Ratinho's remarks do not reflect the network's position, seeking to distance itself from the episode. Hilton, author of proposals related to LGBTQIA+ rights, criticized the statements as a ridiculing of trans and travesti communities.
