Belo lives on as a serial cop 20 years after

Belo lives on as a serial cop 20 years after his arrest: ‘It screwed me’ Splash

Singer Belo, 48 years old, is in a new cycle of life. With a musical career spanning more than three decades, the Pagodeiro now faces a new challenge and prepares for his debut as an actor.

The artist will bring to life a policeman in the series “Veronika” (Globoplay), which will be filmed in February. In an interview with O Globo’s Patrícia Kogut, Belo celebrated the opportunity and also the fact of “meeting” with the police in a very different situation than 20 years ago when he was arrested for drug dealing.

  • In June 2002, Belo was convicted of connection to drug trafficking;
  • He was on the run for five days, turned himself in to the police and was arrested;
  • The singer was detained for 37 days at the AntiKidnapping Division police station in Leblon, in Rio’s South Zone, where he shared a cell with seven inmates until July 12, when he was granted habeas corpus to respond at liberty;
  • He left prison, thinner, with black hair, accompanied by Viviane Araújo, his fiancé at the time;
  • In December 2002, the singer was sentenced to six years in prison, but while at liberty appealed to the STJ (Supreme Court) for a new trial.
  • On the morning of November 5, 2004, Belo was arrested at his home in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in Rio’s West Zone. He hid in a room with false walls after being sentenced to eight years in prison for the crime of human trafficking and association;
  • Belo began serving his sentence in Ary Franco Prison, was transferred to Evaristo de Moraes Prison, and later returned to Ary Franco Prison after agents found cell phones and a video game in the cell shared by the singer with four others shared prisoners.
  • In March 2006 he switched to the semiopen regime but received a ban from performing shows outside the city of Rio de Janeiro.
  • He was granted parole in July 2008;
  • In March 2010, Judge Roberta Barrouin Carvalho de Souza of the Rio de Janeiro Criminal Executions Court granted the singer total freedom.

“I am delighted with this news. It feels like I entered a studio for the first time to record a song. It’s all new and challenging. The first struggle was getting up early to do the intensive preparation. I’m a night person because of my work in music. Morning was always my time to sleep. Now I have to get up at 6:30 a.m. so I can be active by 7 a.m.,” he began.

The musician has taken acting classes from casting coach Isadora Ferrite and has done a lab with cops. For the past few days, Belo has been in the police town in Rio’s North Zone to follow the routine of the pros.

“It screwed me, but in a good way. I’m back in the police force, but now as a great artist. 20 years ago I had these issues but I rebuilt my life and turned it around The police were amazing. Because I’m a popular artist, many have a daughter, wife or mother who are my fans. Then they ask me if they can take photos, they hug me. That experience alone, even though I didn’t want to record every series, it would have been worth it,” he said.

Belo also said what his character’s personality will be like:

“Not only is it my first acting job, but it’s also a character from a completely different universe than mine. It would be a lot easier to play a romantic guy like I am in everyday life. But I identify with him on a number of points. I’m a romantic guy, a guy who left the periphery and had to be smart to get where I’ve got to.”

The artist also takes care of his fitness. In addition to football and tennis, he began aerobic training twice a day:

“I want to lose at least six kilos by the time we start recording. I train like crazy,” he said.

Belo’s family is also looking forward to the new job. In addition to his wife Gracyanne Barbosa, he lives with his mother, motherinlaw, two daughters and a granddaughter.

“Everyone at home is excited. When I told her I was doing this prep for the show, Gracyanne said, ‘Now you have to shut your mouth’ (laughs). She is very supportive of me in everything and has also worked as an actress. He recently directed the feature film ‘I’m for free’. I saw everything backstage,” he said.

And the projects don’t stop there. Belo will release a CD and DVD later this year. Eventually, due to their professional routine, he and Gracyanne postponed their plans to have a child. The couple’s idea was to have an heir this year.

“Something is happening here, so the son will stay as long as God wants. We’ve been training every day now,” he concluded.