Musician María Elena Ríos has made serious accusations against Tenoch Huerta, known for his role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” alleging that he sexually assaulted her. Ríos took to Twitter to call out Huerta as a “sexual predator” while sharing her personal experience of assault.
As reported by The Los Angeles Times, Ríos made these allegations following the release of a podcast episode featuring her on the social media accounts of Poder Prieto, an activist organization based in Mexico.
Huerta is a spokesperson for Poder Prieto, which consists of actors, media members, and other individuals working to combat racism in the entertainment industry and society.
Ríos, a former member of Poder Prieto, accused the organization on Instagram of sharing the podcast episode without her consent. She also claimed that Poder Prieto exploited her by not compensating her for her work.
Furthermore, Ríos accused Poder Prieto of presenting themselves as an anti-racist community while engaging in violence behind closed doors and defending Huerta.
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Poder Prieto responded on Twitter, asserting that they did not publish the podcast episode but merely recommended it alongside other content. They claimed they could not pay Ríos for something they did not produce. However, they did not address Ríos’ allegations against Huerta.
In her response, Ríos accused Poder Prieto of protecting a “sexual predator” and emphasized that she had clearly communicated to the organization that they did not have permission to publish anything involving her after she left. Poder Prieto has not yet responded on the matter.
María Elena Ríos Accuses Tenoch Huerta Of Sexual Assault
When asked on Twitter if Huerta had sexually assaulted her, Ríos confirmed the allegations. She also used the platform to explain why she hadn’t spoken out earlier, citing Mexico’s “machista” culture and the prevalent injustice and violence against women.
She wrote: “Why am I late in talking about it? Because I have a process. Why didn’t I report? Because I was afraid that this would happen: people who refuse to believe that a SUPER HERO is an abuser, manipulator, and sexual predator. Yes, you Tenoch Huerta abuse because you know you have power.”
Ríos shared screenshots of hateful and threatening messages she received from strangers in response to her allegations.
Ríos acknowledged the difficulty of speaking up about the emotional abuse and abuse of power by a sexual predator like Huerta, who is widely adored for his role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
She tweeted: “It is very difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and abuse of power of a sexual predator who is loved in the world for playing a movie character like Tenoch Huerta. Charming in appearance, the great hallmark of a narcissist + a good helping of victimization.”
Huerta has an extensive filmography, including projects such as “The Forever Purge,” “Narcos: Mexico,” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” His portrayal of Namor, the complex antagonist in the latter film, received acclaim for its representation of darker-skinned Indigenous people.
Huerta himself expressed pride in his role as an Indigenous character, highlighting the significance of onscreen representation for marginalized communities.
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He spoke about the cultural importance of the character and how it resonated with his own identity as an actor. Time and again, he has emphasized the historical significance of portraying a superhero with a Mesoamerican background.
Tenoch has not yet issued a public statement regarding the sexual assault accusations made by Maria. With Tenoch Huerta accused of sexual assault, this is the second such incident that involves a breakout Marvel star.
These allegations against Tenoch surfaced shortly after another Marvel actor, Jonathan Majors, was arrested on charges related to sexual assault.
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