The 33-year-old Brazilian, who has faced difficulties since returning to his childhood club this year, approached the stands at the conclusion of Wednesday's match against Internacional to engage with a fan who seemed to be confronting him.
Videos revealed Neymar upset and gesturing, then giving a thumbs-up as a teammate guides him away.
"In the heat of the moment, it's tough to keep your emotions in check when you are unjustly insulted," Neymar shared on Instagram late Thursday.
"I will never argue with fans when they criticize me on the field, as they have the right to express whether they think I played poorly, and they are entitled to boo me!
"What they cannot do is insult me the way they did..."
Santos had been striving to recover from a two-goal deficit, with Alvaro Martin Barreal scoring a minute into stoppage time. Three minutes later, Neymar believed he had scored with a left-footed shot and celebrated in front of the cheering home crowd, but boos echoed throughout Vila Belmiro stadium as the referee determined that the ball had not crossed the line.
Santos currently sits 17th in the 20-team league, where the bottom four teams are relegated to Serie B at the end of the season.
The former Barcelona and Paris St Germain player has endured a rough time since his return: sidelined by injury, receiving a red card for a handball, and contracting COVID-19.
"On the day when fans believe I can no longer contribute or that I am detrimental to the club in any way, I will be the first to gather my belongings and depart!" Neymar added in his comments on Thursday.
"Santos is one of my greatest passions, and as long as I have the strength, I will do my utmost for this club. I will run, fight, shout, and even argue if needed to ensure Santos reaches its rightful place."
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