Tenoch Huerta, from ‘Wakanda Forever,’ exits Netflix movie amid sexual assault allegation
Huerta denies the allegations and says he needs to focus on restoring his reputation.
Tenoch Huerta will not appear in an upcoming Netflix film after a woman he describes as a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault, People reports.
The “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” actor was set to star in the film “Fiesta en la Madriguera” directed by Manolo Caro. Huerta, 42, has confirmed that he no longer will participate in the project.
“Given the impact of the recent false statements by María Elena Ríos and the damage they have caused, I have no choice but to withdraw from participating in the film ‘Fiesta en la Madriguera’,” the actor said in a statement.
Huerta also noted his concern about the potential harm Ríos could bring to the “dozens of talented and hard-working people involved in the project.”
“My focus now is simple: continue the process of restoring my reputation,” he added.
Ríos, a musician and activist, took to Twitter more than a week ago to accuse Huerta of being a “sexual predator.” The two dated for several months, according to The Huffington Post. In a series of tweets in Spanish, Ríos said she suffered from “emotional abuse” during their relationship.
Ríos also accused activist group, Poder Prieto, for “protecting” the actor, People reports. She tweeted that Huerta “is loved around the world for playing a character in a movie,” making it hard for her to talk about the abuse.
Ríos explained in a follow-up tweet that she didn’t speak out sooner because she “was afraid that this would happen: people who refuse to believe that a SUPER HERO is an abuser, a manipulator and sexual predator.”
The Huffington Post reports that Huerta reacted to her allegations in a statement released on social media, claiming their relationship was “entirely consensual at all times” and “mutually supportive.”
According to People, Huerta’s statement on his Instagram Story called Ríos’s accusations “irresponsible and false.”
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