These Portuguese celebrities have been (or are) in prison

Fábio Paim recalled his turbulent history as he turned a corner on 'Big Brother Verão.' The former soccer player spoke about the end of his career and the moment he was arrested in front of his children.

Paim's testimony led us today to recall a list of national celebrities who are or have been imprisoned.

Here is the complete list:

Fábio Paim was arrested in front of his children

It was in 2020 that Fábio Paim ended up being arrested for drug trafficking.

"To support my life of addiction, I started selling drugs. I was caught in a police operation and arrested," he admitted, explaining that he was handcuffed in front of his children and that this is a difficult moment for him to remember.

The former footballer was 32 when he was arrested and spent a year in Caxias prison, where he says he emerged a better person. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, being arrested, because I learned a lot. I learned to value myself, to become humble, to acknowledge myself," he recently said on 'Big Brother Verão'.

Sara Norte was arrested in Spain

Sara Norte was imprisoned in 2012, for a year and four months, in Algeciras, Spain, for drug trafficking.

The actress, then 27, was caught with 800 grams of hashish in her stomach while returning from a trip to Morocco. She had a previous conviction for the same crime in that country, and she later confirmed that she had been a drug mule for some time.

Vítor Norte's daughter, who is now 40 years old, was released from prison on June 4, 2013, after 486 days behind bars.

Tomás Santos jailed for seven years for drug trafficking

Tomás Santos became famous for playing Davide in TVI's "Morangos com Açúcar." The actor was sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug trafficking in 2018.

Seven years after his conviction, in 2024, he was released on parole after giving an interview to Júlia Pinheiro in which he expressed regret for the mistakes he had made in the past.

Nininho Vaz Maia convicted of brawling

Nininho Vaz Maia was sentenced to house arrest in 2013. The singer, who was not yet famous at the time, was confined to his home with an electronic bracelet for his involvement in a brawl. It was during this time that a video of him singing while wearing an electronic bracelet surfaced on YouTube, which would later make him a phenomenon in Portuguese music.

Recently, Nininho's home was searched for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring. The musician was named a suspect for alleged money laundering.

Ágata's son, Marco Caneira, arrested for rape

In September 2024, Marco Caneira was arrested by the police to serve a six-year and six-month prison sentence. The singer Ágata's son was convicted in 2018 by the Ponta Delgada Court for the rape of a 14-year-old girl in 2016.

"My son's mental health was unwell, so a medical report was sent to his lawyer at the time certifying his inability to testify and attend the trial. He never gave his consent for the trial to proceed in his absence, as he could not have done so due to his incapacity.

[...] Only later did my son regain his ability to testify. [...] And now he is in prison and serving his sentence without having been able to defend himself when he was legitimately able to do so, and, as far as I know, according to his lawyer, the defendant is always the last to speak before sentencing," said Ágata in defense of her son in a statement sent to the program 'V+ Fama', on the V+ TVI channel, at the end of November last year.

Nuno da Silva tried to kill his son

Nuno da Silva, a former contestant on 'Love On Top', shocked the country in October last year after being placed in preventive detention for attempted murder.

The photographer and videographer is accused of trying to kill his five-year-old son in Quinta do Conde, in Sesimbra, Setúbal district.

According to the Judiciary Police, the suspect allegedly doused his own son with gasoline. Initial reports also indicated that the man had forced the boy to swallow pills and allegedly suffocated him.

Nuno da Silva, who has a "history of property crimes," shared a long text on his Instagram page before being arrested, revealing that he had suffered multiple abuses as a child, at the hands of his grandfather and grandmother, and also spoke of suicide attempts and admitted to psychological problems.

Read Also: From Attempted to Preventive Homicide: Details of the Nuno da Silva Case

Maria das Dores ordered her husband to be killed

Maria das Dores was sentenced to 23 years in prison for her husband's murder. The socialite didn't handle Paulo Pereira da Cruz, known as the "Milionário do Oeste,"' divorce petition well and ordered his murder.

Maria das Dores was even on the cover of CRISTINA magazine while she was still in prison. In October 2023 , she was released on parole after serving 16 years of her sentence.

Maria das Dores is the mother of renowned fashion producer David Motta, from a previous relationship, and of a young doctor born from her marriage to Paulo Pereira da Cruz. At the time her mother had his father killed, Maria das Dores' son was a minor and was placed with his paternal grandparents. Since then, he has had no contact with his mother.

Singer Ruben Aguiar convicted of hit-and-run

Ruben Aguiar was accused of running over a person with whom he had argued. The crime occurred in 2022 at a gas station on the A33 highway in Alcochete.

Ruben Aguiar was arrested in May 2023 by the Setúbal Judiciary Police and held in pre-trial detention at the Montijo Prison for two months. The coercive measures were later changed to house arrest.

In April 2024, the Almada Court considered the crime proven and sentenced the popular Madeiran singer to five and a half years in prison.

Read Also: "Sporting left me with a gun to my head," admits Fábio Paim