A man, Reza Parastesh, who bears a striking resemblance to star footballer, Lionel Messi, has denied taking advantage of their resemblance to sleep with women.
Parastesh became an instant social media sensation after a picture of him was shared alongside a picture of Messi. Netizens marvelled over the striking resemblance Parastesh bears to Messi.
The Iranian social media sensation found himself embroiled in a new scandal following a report released by Spanish tabloid, Marca, years ago. The story resurfaced on social media following Messi’s recent transfer to the MLS.
Commenting on the controversy that has trailed the claim, Parastesh said:
“Hi friends, a piece of false news about me is trending on social media with regards to me sleeping with 23 women because they thought I was Lionel Messi. Please do not play with people’s reputation and credibility.
“We are all aware of the fact that if it actually happened to anyone, there would be some complaints and it would lead to my prosecution. That would be a disaster and a calamity of international proportion. If this news was true, I would be in jail right now.
“Do not believe it, it is not true. I am going to do everything to fight this legally and make sure my name is cleared.
“The news is spreading in the Muslim countries and it has been a disaster. I was severely harassed because it released the whole world on me. My family also harassed me, but the people’s attack was more influential.”
Reza Parastesh has over a million followers on Instagram. He frequently shares photos imitating the iconic poses of the Argentine superstar, while also comparing his appearance to that of Messi.
