On June 10, 2023, musician María Elena Ríos accused actor Tenoch Huerta, known for his role as Namor in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' of sexual abuse. Ríos posted on Twitter, expressing the difficulty of revealing the emotional abuse and sexual misconduct by Huerta, who is beloved internationally. Ríos cited the fear of speaking out in Mexico, a "macho country" where justice may be unattainable and her story dismissed.
In response, Huerta denied the allegations a few days later, stating that he and Ríos had a consensual and loving relationship for several months. He claimed that after their breakup, Ríos began misrepresenting their interactions to mutual friends. Despite the denial, Huerta chose to step down from a Netflix movie he was working on due to the impact of the accusations on his reputation. His focus now is on restoring his image amid the controversy.