Tenoch Huerta has responded to allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman. In a series of tweets this past weekend, musician and activist María Elena Ríos described the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star as a “sexual predator.”
On Monday (June 12), Huerta released a statement on social media denying the allegations and describing a months-long relationship he had with Ríos as “consensual at all times.”
“A false and completely unsubstantiated accusation about me has spread like wildfire – and I cannot let it go unchallenged any longer,” Huerta began his statement.
Huerta said after he and Ríos’ “loving, warm and mutually supportive relationship” ended, she “began to misrepresent our interactions both privately and in front of groups of mutual friends.”
He added that a few months ago, he hired a legal team to take the “appropriate actions to protect my reputation” and avoid the damage that false accusations would cause his personal life and professional career.
“Although I am by no means perfect, I know that these allegations are simply untrue,” he wrote. “And while I will always work to improve myself, I need to contest claims that are both false and offensive.”
After referring to Huerta as a “sexual predator,” Ríos was asked by a Twitter user if he had sexually assaulted her. She seemingly confirmed so and said there were others as well. She also added that she didn’t bring up these allegations sooner because “justice is unattainable” in a sexist country like Mexico and that it was difficult to step forward because Tenoch Huerta is “loved worldwide.”