Brazilian influencer Maria Luiza Costa da Silva dies at 18 after knife attack outside Recife bar by her boyfriend’s ex girlfriend

Brazilian influencer Maria Luiza Costa da Silva dies at 18 after knife attack outside Recife bar by her boyfriend’s ex girlfriend (Image via Getty)

Maria Luiza Costa da Silva, a young Brazilian influencer known online as Malu Costantine, was killed after a violent stabbing attack in Recife, Brazil. She was only 18 years old. The incident happened late Saturday night, January 31, after a pre-Carnival event in the city. Local police are treating the case as a homicide. According to Brazilian news outlets g1 and Metrópoles, Maria was attacked during a confrontation involving her boyfriend and his former partner. She was rushed to a hospital but died while doctors were trying to save her.The suspect, identified as the boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, was later found injured at another hospital and taken into custody. As of Wednesday, February 4, authorities confirmed that the investigation is still active, and no final charges have been announced. Maria’s death has shocked many across Brazil, especially young social media users who followed her online. Tributes have continued to pour in as police work to piece together what happened that night.

According to police reports shared with g1, Maria was leaving a bar in Recife with her boyfriend, Gabryel Nascimento da Silva, when they ran into his ex-girlfriend, Kallyne Santos da Silva.The couple had earlier attended a pre-Carnival gathering linked to Bloco do Papada, which took place inside the bar. Police say the event had already ended when the confrontation began outside.Gabryel told investigators that an argument broke out between the three. During the dispute, Kallyne allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Maria several times. When Gabryel tried to step in, he was stabbed in the thigh.Reports state that Maria managed to grab the knife and struck Kallyne once before collapsing. A passerby drove Maria and Gabryel to a nearby emergency room. Maria died shortly after arriving. Gabryel was treated and later released.Police said Kallyne fled before officers arrived but later showed up at another hospital for treatment. She was then transferred to a different facility, where she remains in custody without bond.In a statement released on February 1, Bloco do Papada said, “We express our full solidarity with the tragedy that affected young Luiza. We share in the pain of her family and friends and wish them strength during this very difficult time.” The group also said the incident happened hours after their event ended and called it an isolated act of violence.