Spanish influencers Julia Janeiro and Laura Matamoros have engaged in a public feud after a dispute over chewing gum escalated on national television on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The clash began after Matamoros criticised Janeiro's habit of chewing gum during media appearances on the Telecinco entertainment show De lunes a viernes, leading Janeiro to send a pack of chewing gum directly to the television studio in response.
Exchange of jabs on studio set
Speaking on the set of De lunes a viernes, where she works as a collaborator, Matamoros questioned Janeiro's etiquette, stating that someone who chews gum while delivering moral lessons should not talk about respect and class, calling the behavior unbearable and unpalatable.
Janeiro responded on Wednesday while speaking to reporters outside her daily gym session. She stated that she had heard complaints about her chewing gum habit and offered to gift a pack of gum to her critics so they could chew it as well.
Following her remarks, Janeiro's production team delivered a pack of chewing gum to Matamoros during the afternoon broadcast of De lunes a viernes. Matamoros received the package with irony, remarking that she preferred candy to gum but thanked Janeiro for the gesture.
When producers suggested Matamoros express her thanks while chewing a piece of gum, she refused, stating that she was not Juls Janeiro. Asked by an elegance expert on the show how to chew gum with sophistication, Matamoros replied that chewing gum was inherently vulgar.
Escalation of summer media feud
The confrontation with Matamoros comes as Janeiro finds herself at the centre of widespread media attention in Spain this summer. After years of avoiding journalists and maintaining strict boundaries with the press, Janeiro gave her first major exclusive interview, announcing her ambition to become a superstar.
Janeiro subsequently entered a high-profile exchange with television personality Belén Esteban, responding to indirect comments on social media by calling Esteban a television meme and accusing her of remaining in the shadow of Jesulín de Ubrique over past disputes regarding their daughter, Andrea Janeiro.
Esteban had previously highlighted her daughter's independence, stating that Andrea was not a nepo baby like others. Janeiro maintained that she preferred addressing issues directly to people's faces rather than relying on indirect hints, before redirecting her commentary toward Matamoros.
Family reactions and celebrity background
The feud has drawn commentary from across Spanish media and several family members. Janeiro's uncle, Víctor Janeiro, has spoken publicly about the situation, while her great-aunt, Laly Bazán, defended her by declaring that anyone attacking Janeiro was old, fat, and ugly.
Bazán's remarks prompted a live television reaction from collaborator Marta López, who expressed offence at the comment, though it remained unclear if the statement was directed at her specifically. Meanwhile, Janeiro's parents, bullfighter Jesulín de Ubrique and María José Campanario, have avoided commenting publicly despite media interest.
Jesulín de Ubrique is one of Spain's most prominent bullfighters, whose personal life and family have frequently featured in Spanish media since the 1990s. Telecinco, operated by Mediaset España, routinely covers celebrity entertainment and high-profile media feuds.
