England footballer Luke Shaw has brushed off criticism following a TikTok video where he mimed “your mum’s on benefits” during a New Year’s Eve party. The 29-year-old, who is currently sidelined with an injury, faced backlash as he was seen enjoying a £200 bottle of tequila with his partner Anouska Santos’s close friend, Molly-Mae Hague.
Fans reacted strongly to the clip, expressing their disgust, particularly given Shaw’s lengthy time out of action. However, friends of the Manchester United defender have stated that he has developed a “thick skin” regarding online criticism and is focused on returning to peak fitness. One friend remarked, “Luke Shaw is used to the backlash he gets on a daily basis… To him, it was just a bit of light-hearted fun.”
The TikTok was filmed to the trending music “Mugshot Freestyle (The Northern Boys Remix)” and coincided with another video of Molly-Mae kissing her ex, Tommy Fury, which added to the controversy.
This season, Shaw has played only 98 minutes across 20 games, with Manchester United currently sitting 13th in the Premier League. Insiders have indicated that he is working hard to regain full fitness, especially after sharing an emotional message on Instagram about his struggles with the injury setback. He expressed his devastation and commitment to returning stronger to help the club achieve its goals.
Shaw shares three children—Reign, Storie, and Lumie—with Anouska, who has been a supportive figure in Molly-Mae’s life amid her recent split from Tommy Fury. Shaw initially joined Manchester United in 2014 for a then world-record transfer fee of £30 million.
