Black Panther actor Tenoch Huerta denies sexual harassment allegations: Need to contest claims that are false
Tenoch Huerta
Actor Tenoch Huerta, who played the antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has denied sexual assault allegations made against him by musician Maria Elena Rios. The actor has termed the singer's claims as "false and unsubstantiated", saying "I cannot let it go unchallenged any longer".
Huerta issued a statement to Variety and then later shared the post on his Instagram.The actor was chosen to play the role of indigenous superhero-turned-rival of Black Panther, which made him famous across the world.
In his statement,Huerta said, "About a year ago, I dated Elena for several months. It was entirely consensual at all times, as countless others can attest. And throughout it was a loving, warm and mutually supportive relationship. After it ended, however, Elena began to misrepresent our interactions both privately and in front of groups of mutual friends."
The Mexican actor also said, "Although I am by no means perfect, I know that these allegations are simply untrue. And while I will always work to improve myself, I need to contest claims that are both false and offensive."
The actor has reportedly hired a legal team to protect his reputation.
What were the allegations against Tenoch Huerta?
On June 10, Rios called the 42-year-old actor a 'sexual predator' and alleged that he had sexually assaulted her. "It's very difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and the abuse of power of a sexual predator who is loved around the world for playing a character in a movie such as Tenoch Huerta," the singer had said in a post shared on social media.
Huerta played Namor, the main antagonist in the second part of Black Panther last year. There are speculations that the actor may reprise his role in other projects of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), though Marvel has not made any official statement regarding this.
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