Wolves starlet Morgan Gibbs-White told fans to “stay at home” and boost the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK – only to be filmed at a lockdown party alongside reality TV contestants and rule-breakers inhaling from balloons.
The 20-year-old appeared on a balcony in a now-deleted Snapchat post showing a gathering in London where a crowd of party-goers drank and several attendees sucked on balloons in a large apartment at an event that started in the early evening and ended at around 3am.
Georgia Steel and Elma Pazar, from the hit reality TV show Love Island, were also shown dancing at the party, although there is no suggestion that the pair, Gibbs-White or anyone they knew had been inhaling from the balloons.
Hope everyone is staying safe and well during this time. I’m using this time to reflect, process, and drink the occasional Prosecco. Sending my love and prayers to you all right now ?
Gibbs-White had previously implored his social media followers to observe public health guidelines around the novel coronavirus, saying: “Please stay at home and only go out if it is completely necessary.”
Please stay at home and only go out if it is completely necessary. Now is the time to self-isolate, social distance and do our bit to support the NHS. They stay at work for us – let’s stay at home for them.?? @wolves #staystrong
“Now is the time to self-isolate, social distance and do our bit to support the NHS. They stay at work for us – let’s stay at home for them.”
His agent was quoted to have claimed that the player “knew nothing about a party”, saying he would “not comment on these things, whether they are right or wrong” after the footage emerged.
Take me away…. ✈️? @ohpolly
Wolves have now said that they are aware of the matter and will be launching an internal investigation of the kind that led to Everton youngster Moise Kean being fined almost $200,000 for flouting lockdown guidelines by hosting a late-night party last month.
Gibbs-White is the latest Premier League player facing public disgrace after England hopeful Jack Grealish was forced to issue a groveling apology for going to a friend’s house within hours of telling fans to stay at home.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker was caught holding a sex party at his home and attracted more headlines this week when he admitted breaching social distancing rules by traveling to meet family.
Britney De Villiers, Gibbs-White’s girlfriend who describes herself as a law student, model and influencer, posted a video on Monday titled “a day in the life during quarantine with my boyfriend.”
He’s blessed with the best? @prettylittlething #stayhomewithplt #prettylittlething
The lengthy video blog, which has now been made private, showed Gibbs-White carrying out social distancing while shopping in a supermarket and strolling along a riverfront and park, as well as fielding jokes about flirting with passing girls, kissing De Villiers and losing a virtual game of football to Aaron Connolly, a striker at Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
De Villiers jokily told her audience “not to get on to us about social distancing”, causing one viewer to write: “You missed the part where you went to a party.”
Another replied: “That’s in the next vlog, along with the part where he only apologizes because he got caught.”
Angry Wolves supporters rounded on the England Under-21 international on Twitter. “You could see over the last year that Morgan Gibbs-White was putting the lifestyle before his career,” said one.
“You can tell by things like his Instagram posts. When there’s all this sh*t happening now, he acts like a selfish kid. Goodbye – we don’t need you at our club.”
Top-level clubs in England appear to have been given permission to resume fixtures from the start of June under government guidance issued this week.
