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Robbie Williams denies cocaine claim after viral World Cup interview clip
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Robbie Williams has dismissed as untrue claims that a white object seen falling from his mouth onto a microphone during a World Cup television interview was cocaine, mocking the speculation in a follow-up Instagram video. The moment occurred during a post-match appearance on German broadcaster MagentaTV on 19 July 2026, shortly after Williams performed at the tournament's closing ceremony at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey; footage went viral, with some social media users alleging the object had fallen from his nose. The story gained extra traction because of Williams' long-documented public history with alcohol and drug addiction, which fuelled the online rumours, though he firmly and humorously rejected the suggestion once and for all.
In the Instagram clip posted on 20 July, captioned "Just woke up and feeling…. Mint", Williams lay in bed and joked in a mock-solemn tone that it was "deeply unprofessional" and that "people worried about me", adding "but it's OK, because I had several more!" before sticking out his tongue to reveal two mints. Williams, FIFA's official Music Ambassador, had performed 'Desire' with Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger at the closing ceremony; he has said he has not drunk alcohol in 25 years and has previously spoken openly about past struggles with substance abuse, including calling in 2020 for the UK to be less "delusional" about drink and drugs.
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In short
- Robbie Williams denied a viral clip showed cocaine falling from his face
- Object appeared during a MagentaTV interview after the World Cup closing ceremony
- He mocked the rumour on Instagram, revealing it was mints
How this story developed
- 4 months ago Further detail emerged that Williams had told El País earlier in July he has stayed alcohol-free for 25 years, and that the closing-ceremony performance at the centre of the row came just two days after he released a new version of 'Desire' featuring Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger.
- 4 months ago Williams hit back at the rumours in an Instagram video posted the next day in which he mock-solemnly admitted to being "unprofessional" before poking out his tongue to reveal two mints, confirming the white object was nothing more sinister than breath sweets.
- 4 months ago Robbie Williams denied that a white object seen falling from his mouth during a post-match MagentaTV interview on 19 July 2026 was cocaine, after viral footage prompted speculation that it had dropped from his nose, given his openly documented past with drink and drug addiction.
Explained simply
Robbie Williams is a British singer, formerly of the band Take That, who has built a long solo career and has spoken openly for years about his past struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, saying he has been sober for 25 years. He recently performed at the closing ceremony of the World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as FIFA's official Music Ambassador, alongside singers Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger.
During a television interview after the ceremony, footage circulated online appearing to show a small white object falling from his mouth, which some social media users speculated might be cocaine. The claim spread partly because of Williams' well-known history with substance abuse, even though no evidence was offered to support it.
Williams responded publicly to address the speculation directly, which is the development this story concerns.
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Originally published by NME as “Robbie Williams responds to claims cocaine fell from his face onto microphone during World Cup TV interview”.