- Tenoch Huerta stars as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
- The actor is from Mexico and had a lengthy career there before he appeared in the global hit movie.
- He made headlines on Jun. 12, 2023, after he denied accusations of sexual assault brought on by an activist from Mexico two days prior.
Tenoch Huerta is undoubtedly one of the breakout stars of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The 42-year-old made a splash as Namor, the main antagonist of the sequel. However, now Tenoch is making headlines after he denied sexual assault accusations brought on by Mexican activist, María Elena Ríos. The musician and activist took to social media on Jun. 10, 2023, to accuse the rising Marvel star of sexual assault, per The Hollywood Reporter.
“It’s very difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and the abuse of power of a sexual predator who is loved around the world for playing a character in a movie such as Tenoch Huerta,” Maria Elena wrote via Instagram at the time. Two days later, Tenoch publicly denied the accusations and released a statement (more below). Amid the accusations and his response, below are five things to know about Tenoch.
Tenoch Plays Namor In The ‘Black Panther’ Sequel
Tenoch’s Namor is the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan. Namor is extremely powerful and has pointed ears, as well as wings on his feet. On his first day filming, Tenoch made a speech to his co-workers. “This is the first superhero with an Indigenous background, a Mesoamerican background,” Tenoch told Los Angeles Times. “It’s a brown-skinned guy. This ancient culture is in his roots. And he speaks like me. We are making history. I told them, ‘Let’s do something to be proud of.'”
In addition, he played Rafael Caro Quintero in the Netflix series, Narcos: Mexico. He also starred in the series Blue Demon and the 2021 film The Forever Purge. He has appeared in Latin American and Spanish films since his onscreen debut in 2006.
Tenoch Huerta Denied Sexual Assault Accusations
As previously mentioned, Tenoch was accused of sexual assault by a Mexican musician and activist in Jun. 2023. Two days after she publicly accused him, he took to his Instagram Story to deny the allegations via an official statement. Tenoch called their relationship a consensual one and her accusations “false and completely unsubstantiated.”
“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,” the statement began. “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.”
The star noted that he is not “perfect” and later expressed gratitude for those “willing to look at the facts” before they reach an “unjust” conclusion. “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,” he continued. “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.”
Tenoch Is From Mexico
Tenoch was born and raised in Ecatepec, a Mexico City neighborhood. His full name is José Tenoch Huerta Mejía. He studied journalism in college. The Mexico native is very proud of his culture and recently took to Instagram on Mar. 17, 2023, to highlight a local Mexican textile artist. “Look no more this cool! What a pleasure to meet in person the lady textile artist Feliciana and the new generation @lesly_la_nina_de_los_rebozos Thank you for coming and above all for putting your heart in each thread!”, he captioned the photo with the woman and a young child.
He Is An Author
Tenoch released Orgullo Prieto (Brown Pride) about racism and colorism in Mexico. “In Latin America we have a serious problem of racism,” he also told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a different dynamic [than in the U.S.] because here, the people are segregated, and in Mexico and Latin America, it’s integrated by force.” The book will be released on December 13, 2022.
Tenoch Is Private About His Personal Life
Tenoch mostly uses his social media presence to promote his work. However, he has posted photos of his family, including two kids who appear to be his children. Tenoch has not publicly spoken about having children.