Mexican actor brutally slaps reporter on red carpet

  • 13/10/2017

A Mexican soap opera star is under criminal investigation after he unleashed a ferocious slap on a reporter interviewing him on a Hollywood red carpet.

In the footage, Striptease actor Eduardo Yáñez can be seen lashing out angrily after fielding a question from Univision journalist Paco Fuentes on his son, who he has a strained relationship with.

The question centred on why, given the fortune Yáñez has accumulated throughout his acting career, his son was left to set up a GoFundMe page to finance repairs to a car he'd recently crashed.

Fifty-seven-year-old Yáñez - who was labelled a woman-beater, drug addict and racist by his son - can be seen berating Fuentes after the question, before powerfully striking him across the face.

The pair can then be seen staring intensely at one another until Yáñez eventually walks away.

After public pressure, Yáñez has now said sorry.

Mexican actor brutally slaps reporter on red carpet
Photo credit: Twitter

"I want to offer a sincere apology to the public and the person affected by my action. It was not correct. My personal life is not for sale," he said.

However he gave a barbed response to one of Fuentes' Univision colleagues Jorge Ramos, who accused him of normalising violence.

Mexican actor brutally slaps reporter on red carpet
Photo credit: Twitter

It has now also emerged that Fuentes reported Yáñez to the Los Angeles Police Department, who are now investigating whether they charge him with battery and assault, according to TMZ.

If he is charged, he could face a maximum of six months in prison.

Newshub.