Argentine lawmaker Lilia Lemoine’s X-rated post sparks legal storm as ex-lover threatens court action

Controversial national deputy Lilia Lemoine is once again at the centre of a media scandal after she voluntarily posted a sexually explicit photo of herself and a former partner online.

Lemoine, 45, said she shared the image online to deny rumours she once sold adult content online via the OnlyFans subscription site. 

However, the extraordinary social media post now looks like it will backfire after her former partner denounced the La Libertad Avanza lawmaker before the courts.

Lemoine, who says she was romantically involved with President Javier Milei, uploaded the provocative image in an apparent bid to defend herself against claims that the photo originated from the OnlyFans subscription service.

“People are trying to humiliate me by posting a quarantine-era photo with an ex and saying it’s from OnlyFans,” Lemoine wrote in the post on X. “I never had OnlyFans.”

In the image, reportedly dating back to 2020, Lemoine appears nearly naked, straddling a man whose face was digitally obscured. 

The sexually charged nature of the photo, combined with the fact it was shared by a sitting national deputy, triggered outrage beyond Argentina’s chaotic online political scene, with the news even making headlines on international outlets.

Now her ex-boyfriend, Manuel Jorge Gorostiaga, better known as right-wing influencer ‘Emanuel Danann,’ has filed a criminal complaint accusing the lawmaker of defamation after she implied he leaked the intimate material for publicity.

According to the Noticias Argentinas news agency, a complaint has been lodged before Buenos Aires City Correctional Court No. 6 asking the authorities to investigate whether Lemoine’s conduct could amount to crimes including slander, libel, abuse of authority and breach of public duty.

Danann fiercely rejects the accusation that he circulated the image and claimed Lemoine has launched a personal vendetta against him.

“Unfortunately I had to initiate legal action against a national deputy who has been using public power to pursue a personal vendetta against me for God knows what reason,” said Danann in an interview with Modo Fontevecchia.

“She explicitly implied that I was responsible for publishing the photo,” he said after filing the complaint. “I had to act because, furthermore, I think the photograph she published and the false accusation insinuating that I was carrying out revenge porn crossed every possible line.”

In a remarkable twist, Danann argued that Lemoine undermined her own version of events by admitting she still possessed the image herself and had allegedly stored it on social media accounts some years ago.

He said the image was not circulating beforehand, that “nobody had distributed it” and implied Lemoine had deliberately posted it online.

Lemoine is no stranger to the media spotlight and the deputy has frequently embraced controversy rather than avoided it.

In recent days, she responded to online trolls mocking old cosplay photos by complimenting herself online, describing herself as “hot” and “a bombshell” in public posts.

Before entering politics, Lemoine built a sizeable online following under the cosplay persona “Lady Lemon,” attending conventions and themed events. She was known for provocative costumes, gaming culture appearances and sexualised online content.

Since joining Milei’s political orbit, initially as his make-up artist, she has blurred the line between Internet celebrity and elected official. 

In 2023, she was elected national deputy for La Libertad Avanza, consolidating her transformation into a mainstream figure. 

Today, she is one of President Milei’s most vocal and visible defenders in public and in the media.

For critics, the latest incident reinforces concerns that parts of Argentina’s libertarian movement remain more focused on Internet spectacle than governance.

Supporters, meanwhile, reject claims that Lemoine is bringing the National Congress into disrepute. They insist she is being targeted because of her outspokenness, unapologetic public image and refusal to conform to traditional expectations.

– TIMES/NA/PERFIL