European champion Alexa Herse levels sexual assault allegations against Andre Galvao
Purple belt standout Alexa Herse has made allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against Atos head coach Andre Galvao.
After several days of rumors swirling, direct allegations of sexual misconduct have now been made against Atos head coach Andre Galvao.
On Monday, rising young talent and recent purple belt European champion Alexa Herse made public her troubling and abusive experiences with Galvao. In a post on Instagram, Herse explains that Galvao made her “very uncomfortable on many occasions… touched [her] inappropriately during training sessions… commented on [her] body and appearance… made sexual moaning sounds… and licked [her] ear” during a training session.
Herse also states that Galvao’s wife and Atos co-owner, Angelica Galvao, advised Herse against raising concerns about Andre’s behavior.
Herse had been a long-time member of Atos, spending the entirety of her accomplished juvenile career under the Atos banner. Following this experience, she is no longer with the team.
View Herse’s full statement below.
Herse’s allegations – along with rumors of other instances of sexual misconduct – have led to a mass exodus of grapplers from the Atos team, as well as a number of Atos affiliates breaking ties with Galvao and Atos. Grapplers who have officially left the Atos banner include ADCC champions Adele Fornarino and Rafaela Guedes, black belt instructor Rose Miller, and accomplished competitor Nikki Sullivan, among many others.
Prominent affiliates who have left Atos include JT Torres and Essential Jiu-Jitsu, Michael Liera Jr’s Logos Jiu-Jitsu, Kristian Woodmansee’s Logic BJJ, and former world champion Lucas Pinheiro.
According to a statement from Pinheiro, he personally confirmed the veracity of the allegations against Galvao and shared that Herse has already filed a police report.
A multiple-time ADCC and world champion who heads up one of jiu-jitsu’s largest affiliations and arguably its most prominent competition academy, Galvao is a massive figure in the sport. Before Herse had released her allegations publicly, but after rumors had surfaced of misconduct, Galvao categorically denied any wrongdoing.
According to the 43-year-old, the exodus of athletes is a result of “administrative and financial changes.”
