Olympic gold medalist and world champion wrestler Amit Elor has broken her silence on the allegations surrounding Melqui Galvao, sharing her own personal experiences with the BJJ coach in a video posted to her Instagram account.
“I want to say how proud I am of all the vic tims who have had the strength and courage to speak up,” Elor said at the opening of the video. “My heart breaks for anyone who has experienced abuse and I truly hope that justice will be served and the vic tims can begin to heal and have some closure.”
Elor, who is the mother of a child with Melqui’s son Mica Galvao, described her direct encounters with the senior Galvao as deeply unsettling.
“Over the years I was around this person a handful of times and even from those experiences I can say the environment felt very manipulative, scary and confusing. There was a culture of fear, control and silence that affected everyone around him.”
She went on to describe Melqui’s personality and the atmosphere he cultivated.
“He was moody, unpredictable, manipulative, and sexist,” she said, adding that people around him appeared “conditioned not to question him, not to push back, and not to speak openly.”
Elor was candid about the control Melqui exerted over his son’s life, which in turn directly affected her own relationship.
“He usually only allowed his son to visit me if he won his competitions,” she said. “The only times he treated me kindly were when he could use me, whether that was using my image as an athlete for his benefit, or using me as a tool to manipulate his son.”
She also described a financial situation that left her feeling powerless. When she first visited Brazil and competed representing his academy, she said she won prize money that Melqui then claimed she had agreed to donate to him.
“He told me I agreed to donate that money to him, but I never agreed to that. Basically, he tricked me and used his power to make money out of me.”
While Elor was clear that she never personally witnessed or had knowledge of any s*xual misconduct, she did not hold back in describing her overall discomfort.
“At times I genuinely felt like I couldn’t breathe in the same room as him,” she said.
She also detailed the pressure she faced during her pregnancy.
“For months, while I was pregnant, I was heavily pressured to move to Brazil and give birth there. He told me I was being selfish and ruining his son’s life by not moving, and that if I truly loved his son, I would agree.”
Elor urged the public to avoid rushing to judgment about everyone connected to the situation.
“Abuse and manipulation are extremely complex, especially when someone has had power and control over others for many years, and even their whole lives,” she said. “Understanding and compassion are crucial.”
She closed by addressing her relationship with Mica, confirming they remain close while co-parenting their son, and expressed hope that healing and accountability would follow for everyone affected.
