"Queen of Scrap Metal": How is Gerson Brenner doing after being shot in the head?

Actor Gerson Brenner , 65, once again moved audiences with the rerun of "Rainha da Sucata" on "Vale a Pena Ver de Novo".

In the 1990 telenovela , he played one of the sons of the iconic Dona Armênia, portrayed by Aracy Balabanian, a role that marked his career and solidified his place in Brazilian television drama.

In the early morning of August 17, 1998, Gerson's life changed drastically. While driving along the Ayrton Senna Highway, on his way to Rio de Janeiro to film the final scenes of the soap opera, he was the victim of a robbery .

Criminals had scattered stones on the road, puncturing his car's tires. When he tried to change them, the actor was approached and shot in the head.

Truck drivers found Brenner unconscious and took him to the hospital. The bullet went through the left side of his brain, and although he survived, the actor suffered serious aftereffects—he lost some of his mobility, speech, and cognitive abilities.

The three assailants, aged between 19 and 25, were arrested days later. They confessed to the crime and said they did not recognize the actor. The case had a major national impact and generated widespread outrage throughout the country.

At the time, Brenner was living with Denize Tacto, who was pregnant with their second daughter. After the crime, the court ruled that she should care for the newborn baby, preventing her from dedicating herself fully to the actor. In 2020, she explained that the court decision had been misinterpreted and that she never abandoned him.

Today, Gerson lives in São Paulo under the care of his wife, Marta Mendonça, a psychologist whom he met during his treatment and whom he married in 2014.

Brenner is also the father of Anna Haas, his daughter from his relationship with former model Ana Cristina Haas, who maintains close ties with her father and often shares moments with him on social media.

According to Marta, the rerun of "Rainha da Sucata" has been a source of great joy for the actor. "You can't imagine how happy he is with each announcement of the soap opera. Watching a production he participated in does him a lot of good," she told the newspaper Extra.

Born in São Paulo, Gérson dos Santos Oliveira began his career on stage and made his television debut in the 1980s.

His first role in a soap opera was in "Kananga do Japão" (1989), on the now-defunct TV Manchete. Shortly after, he went to Globo, where he acted in "Top Model" and, later, in "Lua Cheia de Amor", "Perigosas Peruas" and "Deus Nos Acuda" (1992), when he returned to play the character Gerson.

The actor also worked for other networks, participating in productions such as "Olho no Olho", "Tocaia Grande", "O Olho da Terra" and "Por Amor e Ódio". His last work was in "Corpo Dourado" (1998), playing Jorginho.