Tenoch Huerta Denies Sexual Assault Allegations, Claims ‘Consensual’ Relationship With Accuser

Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, 42, is speaking out after being accused of sexual assault last week. The actor is calling the claims “false and completely unsubstantiated.”

Saxophonist and activist María Elena Ríos accused Huerta of being a “sexual predator” on Twitter on January 10.

In that same tweet, she called the organization Poder Prieto a “cult” that “protected” the actor. Still, Huerta fiercely denied Ríos’ accusations on his Instagram Stories, calling them “simply untrue” and “offensive.”

Ríos said Huerta is a “sexual predator” and also spoke out against the organization Poder Prieto

Last week, Ríos took to social media to call out the Mexican antiracism organization Poder Prieto, which Huerta is notably linked to.

After Poder Prieto posted about Ríos’ involvement in a podcast to their Instagram stories, the activist said they “did not have consent to spread the content where [she] participated.”

She continued, “They never even paid me a cent from what we agreed on and they made me work for free.”

To that, the organization defended itself with, “We can’t pay her for something that isn’t our production. And we didn’t publish it, we only recommended that content.”

Ríos also called her involvement in Poder Prieto “a big mistake.” She wrote, “I don’t speak to contradictory people, even more you guys who are ‘antiracists’ but internally super violent.”

In that IG post, she turned to the organization, asking: “Did you forget how you treated me and defended [the opportunist] Tenoch Huerta?”

Riós wrote in the caption, “Apart from being violent for defending the [violent] predator Tenoch Huerta, you are exploitative and plagiarists.”

While Ríos had much to say about Poder Prieto, her comments about Huerta were even more eye-opening.

On Twitter, the Mexican saxophonist doubled down on her statement: “When I left the cult that protects the sexual predator Tenoch Huerta, I clarified for them not to publish anything about me.”

Ríos said she “wasn’t playing,” calling the organization “hypocrites that wanted to avoid scandals because of [Huerta’s] Marvel movie [“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever“].

In several other tweets, Ríos said it “scared” her to speak out against a “superhero”

In another tweet, Ríos wrote, “It is difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and abuse of power by a sexual predator who is loved around the world for interpreting a movie character like Tenoch Huerta.”

She described the “Madres” actor as having an “enchanting appearance,” calling it “the main characteristic of a narcissist.”

The musician also took up the question of why she had not spoken out against Huerta sooner.

“Says the people who live in a sexist country, where justice is unreachable,” she said. “Where they almost kill you and not even then do they believe you or give you justice.”

Ríos later clarified she “does not want to be famous” and “does not want money because [she] knows how to work.”

The activist said she also took longer to speak out because “she has a process.” She said she did not report Huerta because she was “scared” about people sending her horrifying messages, sharing screenshots, proving it is already happening.

Ríos described these people as those “who refuse to believe that a superhero is an abuser, manipulator, and sexual predator.”

She finished the message with, “Yes, Tenoch Huerta, you abuse because you know you have power.”

A Twitter reply added even more fuel to the fire. A user asked Ríos, “Did Tenoch sexually assault you or what is happening?”

Ríos replied, “That’s how it is, and several more.”

Ríos is an acid attack survivor. Her former boyfriend, a politician, allegedly ordered the attack on her in 2019 because he couldn’t accept their breakup.

Later, she told NBC News, “I can say I have been forced to become a defender of my own rights, and a defender of the rights of other fellow women survivors.”

Tenoch Huerta claims he had a “consensual” and “loving” relationship with the accuser

While Ríos’ accusations are harrowing, Huerta is speaking out against them. The actor wrote on his Instagram stories, “A false and completely unsubstantiated accusation about me has spread like wildfire — and I cannot let it go unchallenged any longer.”

While he called the accusations “simply untrue,” he asserted that he actually had a “consensual” relationship with Ríos that lasted “several months.”

“About a year ago, I dated Elena for several months. It was entirely consensual at all times, as countless others can attest,” he said. “And throughout it was a loving, warm, and mutually supportive relationship.”

The 42-year-old actor explained that after they broke up, “Elena began to misinterpret [their] interactions both privately and in front of groups of mutual friends.”

He also said that he hired a legal team several months ago. “As a result, a few months ago, I engaged a legal team to commence the appropriate actions to protect my reputation.”

Huerta also spoke about refuting the “irresponsible and false accusations that can cause great prejudice and damage.”

The actor later wrote, “While I will always work to improve myself, I need to contest claims that are both false and offensive.”

Huerta finished his message by saying he “greatly appreciates everyone who is willing to look at the facts and reflect before rushing to an untrue and unjust conclusion.”