Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made Tenoch Huerta an international superstar. Tenoch, 42 years old, has been a working actor in Mexico, Latin America and the US for years before his portrayal of Namor made him an “overnight sensation.” He got so much attention for his chemistry on-and-off screen with Lupita Nyong’o and Leticia Wright, and he was often paired with them during the promotion. People really loved him and he was an “internet boyfriend” for a while. Well, that’s probably over. A Mexican musician named Maria Elena Rios accused him of abuse in a series of tweets (originally written in Spanish). This is a translation of what 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 @TenochHuerta abuse because you know you have power.
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 character in a movie like @TenochHuerta
Charming in appearance, the great hallmark of a narcissist + a good helping of victimization.
They say those who live in a macho country, where justice is unattainable where they almost kill you and still they don’t believe you or justice comes. And no, I don’t want to be famous. And no, I don’t want money because I know how to work.
The translation is a bit janky but you get the idea. Her narrative is that they dated, apparently, and he preyed on her and emotionally abused her and sexually abused her. She didn’t report it because she didn’t believe that she would be believed. So, Rios’ tweets sat out there over the weekend, and then on Monday, Tenoch Huerta responded with this statement:
In a statement sent to Variety and published on his Instagram, Huerta called Ríos’ claims “false and completely unsubstantiated,” adding, “I cannot let it go unchallenged any longer.”
“About a year ago, I dated Elena for several months,” Huerta wrote. “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.
“As a result, a few months ago, I engaged a legal team to commence the appropriate actions to protect my reputation and refute these irresponsible and false accusations that can cause great prejudice and damage. 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.”
“I am deeply grateful to my family and the people who have supported me and greatly appreciate everyone who is willing to look at the facts and reflect before rushing to an untrue and unjust conclusion.”
I saw several people get caught on the very curious wording of “It was entirely consensual at all times, as countless others can attest.” “Countless others” knew what happened between you and this young woman in private, just the two of you? He wouldn’t be the first guy to be completely charming and lovely in public and a complete monster in private. I do have to admit though, my radar didn’t beep on this one. I believed Tenoch was who he said he was.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Tenoch’s IG.
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- Tenoch Huerta at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever European Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square in West End, London, United Kingdom.,Image: 735425468, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley / Avalon
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- SĂO PAULO, SP – 02.12.2022: CCXP22 – Actor Tenoch Huerta, who plays Namor in the movie ?Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? participates in the panel at CCXP22's Thunder by Cinemark Stage this Friday night (02) in Săo Paulo.,Image: 741976368, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: RESTRICTIONS: FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY, MODEL-RELEASE NO, PROPERTY-RELEASE NO, CAPTION AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATED, ORIGINAL LANGUAGE IN PORTUGUESE, Model Release: no, Credit line: Yuri Murakami / Fotoarena / Avalon
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- PASADENA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 25: Tenoch Huerta arrives at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 25, 2023 in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 758779694, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Tenoch Huerta, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
That’s a carefully worded pr statement if I ever read one. This young woman had better get representation—fast.
The trouble with how so many men are raised is that to them something is consensual because unless it’s a strongly vocal no, it’s always a wholehearted yes. they don’t know anything about body language, discomfort, power dichotomies, or pay attention to male privilege setting them up to always get what they want. So sure, he might think the whole thing is consensual. Doesn’t mean the other person’s perspective isn’t true for their experience of that situation.
And often the problem with how women get raised is they get taught to people please and ignore the feelings in their body, and that ignoring their own discomfort as being an example what love is. So they end up doing what they don’t want because the social norm is failing them. So of course they don’t tell people because it’s all internalised on girls to be responsible for making others feel comfortable before your own needs.
I hope she’s getting support to deal with her experience because she shouldn’t have to carry that weight with her every day and into every new interaction.
Hmmm. Not a very good statement. Ps: the media in Mexico doesn’t like him but he did claimed once that it was because of racism. It does happen in Mexico… people that are darker and of indigenous background don’t have it easy. It’s those damn novelas that always put gueros as protagonists and the best and dark / indigenous people as the help le of loss class. I hope he is not a monster but why she would lie? I agree with her that there is seldom justice in Mexico for women that has been abused so many remain quiet.
People lie all the time because they are sngry and bitter. We have to do better than cancelling every man accused. Not sure about this one yet. Let this play out a little more.
What man has been cancelled?
Mimi this is NOT true. I have worked in multiple rape crisis centres and there is overwhelming international data on how common childhood and adult physical and sexual abuse and assault are across communities. False accusations are rare and women and gender minorities don’t speak up because of harmful myths like this one and because we treat survivors horribly and blame them for having “caused” the abuse.
@eowyn. You are correct. Currently work at an SA and the false report rate is incredibly low because the risk is all on the victim, rarely the perpetrator. We are trained to give the benefit of the doubt to perpetrators- especially if they are handsome men with charisma and/or power. Trust me, her life is dangerous, scary, and sleepless right now. Not worth false reporting.
Not sure why she will lie about been assaulted … specially in a society like Mexico. No woman wants to be ripped to pieces in the media and questioned as well as having her life, sexual history and all she ever did put under a microscope… to just lie ? Hm , I don’t think so.
My story: I had a boyfriend force himself on me , I did not wanted to have sex that day because I had an upset stomach, he did not take no for a answer and I stopped complaining and and fighting. It was horrible and took me years to understand that it was rape. I am not saying this is what happened to this young lady but being assaulted within a relationship takes a long time to process and perhaps now she is ready to talk about it and perhaps even bring charges regardless of the chaos that it will bring to her life.
She is indigenous, and she has already survived an attack with acid, of which I haven’t read the circumstances. She wouldn’t be the first victim wo is attracted to other victimizers. I hope she gets all kinds of help, legal and psychological. He’s not letting go of the dollars.
In his statement he says “many others” muchos otros.
OMG! That’s HORRIFIC!!! That POOR GIRL!!!
It was the ex boyfriend who did it ( had someone throw acid on half her body) because she broke up with him. He is a important politician and also business man ( owns gas stations around Oaxaca where she is from). Anyhow, he was in jail but because of corruption, he was freed last year. I can imagine how terrified she must be.
She was dating a married politician who was a human shit. She didnt mind until it was her turn to be his victim.
Both things can be true. Tenoch Huerta was attacked for speaking the truth on racism against darker-skinned people in Mexico. Also gender-based intimate partner abuse is common, and like most women survivors, Maria Elena Rios will be invalidated for revealing that she was victimized by her male partner. I believe survivors. I want perpetrators to be held accountable.
+1
I assumed— yeah, I know…— that the “as countless others can attest” — bit might refer to what other people might know about his character and behavior in general and in relationships, not just what “countless others” might know about the private relationship between Huerta and the woman who has accused him of abuse. I don’t know anything about any of the people involved here — I’m just commenting on the language used here, and the nuances that might be involved when translating from one language (and culture) to another.
I agree with you. On the other side of the coin, one person makes an accusation and people take it and run with it and your reputation is ruined. I will wait to see what else comes out. There is no one time abuser. They are always repeat offenders.
When you are in a relationship and you have a group of friends ofcourse they are aware of what kind of relationship it is. Your family also is aware of what the relationship is. I think that is what he meant. I am not ready to vilify him.
Oh, please, how many women will it take for you to believe this one? Five? Ten? How much did it take to believe women about Bill Cosby, 40? 50? And no, abusers are actually quite good at hiding what they do from others, as are their victims. Believe women.
@AD, this is such a bad take so many women and victims hide their abuse from their closest friends and family. maybe because of attitudes like yours, where it’s plain that they would not be believed (your mom didn’t know? oh you must be lying).
While countless may be overstating it he’s talked about threesomes and whatnot. He’s pretty sexually open. Maybe he’s referring to some specific interactions as well. Where there were witnesses. Idk.
When folks say people are”attracted to victimizers”, when you’ve been in environments where you were raised with abuse or experienced abuse, you need another lifetime to practice and learn healthy boundaries. It’s not quick or easy.Abusers are charming. They are personable. They treat people that they need access to with impeccable boundaries and behaviour. This persona and skill set enables their abuse of the other people they desire control over. Stop blaming people for being attracted to people who initially act in attractive healthy ways, until they start the cycle of abuse.
ITA! People are not attracted to victimizers, IMO it’s that predators have a sense of who is must vulnerable and hone in on them.
Yes! And this is how they manage to hide what they’re doing for so long! They’re charming people. And like this guy, nobody believes he’d do such a thing ’cause he’s so charming.
Sorry, I only speak English as a foreign language and was in a hurry. He is inbthe wrong here
Of course he denies it! Just about the only Hollywood abuser who’s ever admitted his culpability is Shia LaBeouf in response to FKA Twigs, and even he wasn’t prepared to admit all of it.
He could be innocent, of course. Joel Kinnamon’s name was dragged through the mud by a stalker ex, and he had the receipts to prove that she was trying to extort him. My approach is not to automatically ‘believe all women’ but rather to do them the courtesy of believing that it’s possible that they’re telling the truth rather than automatically dismissing it.
Yes please. As much as I’ve standed up against abusive men, please let’s be open to what both sides have to say. A former colleague almost lost his sanity after his mother in law falsely accused him of sexually preying on his daughters. She finally confessed having done so and her motives, but this guy was put through hell: He was detained, sent to jail, ordered to furtherly stay away from the girls, expelled from his job and given a terrible name in his comunity. Same time, we don’t want to believe that a star of indigenous origin who made it in Hollywood is rotten but… It’s also a possibility. If so; I really, really hope this girl has evidence and gets a legal team that has her back.
I’m happy to eat crow if the accusation turns out to be false. But I will not re-victimise someone just because I want to “wait and see.” Fact is that no one will ever know the absolute truth of what happened between them. For the time being, I believe her.
Isn’t this the guy that had some really bad tweets recently come to light also?
Here we go again. Damn.
I will wait for the evidence.
Both are skechy. She was a victim of a horrific crime but still many call her extortionist and a con artist. He’s known as a bitter hypocrital person who lives incntradiction. In this case, I believe no one.
Only 4.5% of rapes are falsely reported.
Only a small percentage, approximately 20% are reported.
An extremely small percentage of predators are convicted.
Some survivors are not “perfect victims”. The Danny Masterson rape trials and convictions is a case study.
I did not report my SA. It would have destroyed me. We met via online dating. I met 2 men whom became extremely close friends and had a long-term relationship with the third one. There is still a stigma.
I believe survivors. A dear friend was raped by his girlfriend over a decade ago. People still do not believe that men can be raped.
Rape is about power not sex.