Saxophonist and activist María Elena Ríos called Marvel star Tenoch Huerta of an “abuser and manipulator” and said he was a “sexual predator” in tweets relating to a dispute with Mexican anti-racist organization Poder Prieto.
Tenoch Huerta, who played Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is one of several celebrity spokespeople for Poder Prieto, which campaigns against racism and colorism in Latin American media. Last year he spoke out against the trend of streaming services like Netflix and Max prioritizing light-skinned actors when expanding into Spanish-language media.
A well-known feminist figure in Mexico, María Elena Ríos—who survived an acid attack in 2019—has worked with Poder Prieto in the past. Last week, however, she accused the organization of releasing a podcast featuring her voice without her consent. Posting on Twitter and Instagram, she wrote that Poder Prieto had exploited her for unpaid work, adding that the organization was protecting “sexual predator” Tenoch Huerta.
In a series of follow-up tweets, she explained that it was difficult to come forward about abuses of power by charismatic stars like Huerta, decrying Mexico’s sexist “machista” culture and saying that justice was unattainable.
Sharing screencaps of hateful messages she’d received after accusing Huerta of abuse, she struck back at the idea that she’d come forward out of a desire for fame or money.
Poder Prieto has responded to Ríos’ comment about unpaid work, arguing that the podcast in question wasn’t their own production, and was merely recommended content. However, the organization did not respond to her accusations regarding Huerta.
Following a thriving career in Spanish and Mexican cinema, Huerta found English-language stardom playing an indigenous Mesoamerican reboot of Marvel’s Namor, a role that is expected to continue in future MCU spinoffs. As Ríos’ accusations spread on social media this weekend, the situation inspired comparisons to Jonathan Majors‘ arrest for assault—another Marvel star who is still attached to the franchise, despite allegations of violence against women.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Disney/Marvel Studios for comment.
Update 3:23pm CT: In a post on Instagram, Huerta called the allegations “false and completely unsubstantiated,” saying they had nonetheless spread like “wildfire.”
“About a year ago, I dated Elena for several months. It was entirely consensual at all times … After it ended, however, Elena began to misrepresent our interactions … these allegations are simply untrue.”
