Patrice Evra has responded to sensational reports claiming he had been given a suspended prison sentence for abandoning his family by posting a bizarre video on social media showing him in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.
Paris judges ruled that former Manchester United player Defender Evra failed to pay almost £1m in child support to his wife, Sandra Evra, and effectively abandoned her and their two young children between 1 May 2021 and 28 September 2023.
Lawyers for Evra, who retired from football in 2019, confirmed an appeal was launched immediately after the verdict was handed down on Tuesday.
Evra, 43, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay his wife €4,000 (£3,358) in moral damages and €2,000 (£1,679) in legal costs.
On social media after the news broke, Evra appeared to make light of the situation as he danced around a caged basketball court with his hands cuffed.
Patrice Evra has posted a bizarre video showing himself in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit after being given a suspended prison sentence for abandoning his family for more than two years.
Former Manchester United defender Evra has been ruled by Paris judges to have failed to pay nearly £1m in child support to his wife Sandra Evra (pictured: the former couple pose in 2012)
In the video, which was titled “Let me turn off this rubbish news. Look how much I enjoyed myself in prison”, the former France captain also sported an afro wig, an orange prison jumpsuit, a large dollar sign necklace and gold shackles on his teeth.
He also used the hashtags #ILoveThisGame and #Freedom and crying laughing emojis.
Shortly after the verdict, Evra’s lawyer, Jérôme Bouriscan, insisted that “the facts are disputed” by his client, who remains adamant that there are no outstanding payments.
“Mr Patrice Evra filed an appeal knowing that he had provided his wife with an apartment, a house with a swimming pool in the south of France and that he had lent her nearly two million euros for her daily living,” Boursican explained.
‘A sum that he refuses to return, and which is the reason for this trial.’
Evra and Sandra separated in 2020 but share two children, son Lenny and daughter Maona
An immediate appeal was launched after the verdict, with Evra “disputing the facts”.
Evra representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Sandra and Evra married in 2007 and have two children together: a son, Lenny, and a daughter, Maona. The former United player began divorce proceedings in 2020, although four years later the divorce has not materialised.
In July 2020, photos were published of Evra kissing Danish model Margaux Alexandra, his current partner, while he was still married to his wife. Evra and Alexandra are engaged and have since had two children: a little boy, Lilas, and a little girl.
Acting on behalf of Sandra, attorney Nathalie Dubois said The Parisian‘I hope that, thanks to this decision, Patrice Evra will finally understand that he is not above the law and that a wife and children cannot be abandoned overnight.
‘Even more so when they met when they were 15 and she followed him around the world to support his football career.’
Evra, who made 379 appearances for United between 2006 and 2014, was first spotted with Alexandra five months after his split from his wife. He is believed to have ended the 13-year marriage after moving out of the family home in Paris.
Evra initiated surprise divorce proceedings in 2020 after ending a 13-year marriage and moving away (pictured: Evra, his wife and daughter on holiday in Ibiza, Spain, in 2015)
He is now engaged to Danish model Margaux Alexandra, with whom he shares two children.
Evra was first spotted with Alexandra (pictured) five months after his split from his wife.
Sandra, Evra’s childhood sweetheart after they grew up together in the Parisian suburb of Les Ulis, is said to have been heartbroken when he left to work as a commentator for Sky Sports. She reportedly found out about his new relationship through social media.
She said Sun: ‘That was the worst day of my life. I was devastated, distraught. I was left paying all my credit cards and the Netflix bill. It took me a long time to realize what it’s like… he’s turned into a rat.’
Sandra also told the publication that she hadn’t seen Evra since January 2020, when he traveled to her second home in Battersea, London, for a “15-day work trip.” Then, on March 4, he officially filed for a surprise divorce that left her stunned.
Evra is alleged to have used his lawyer to inform Sandra that he wanted a divorce.
Earlier this year, he was spotted kissing a mystery woman during a night out. In the photos posted by MirrorEvra was pictured getting cosy at 4am in full view of all the other party-goers outside MNKY HSE restaurant and bar in central Manchester.