A soap opera star brought the drama off the screen and onto the red carpet when he slapped a reporter who was interviewing him.
Mexican telenovela star Eduardo Yanez, 57, slapped Univision reporter Paco Fuentes on the Hollywood red carpet on Tuesday.
According to TMZ, he is now under criminal investigation after the reporter filed a report with the LAPD claiming assault and battery.
Paco is seen in the video asking questions about Eduardo’s son’s GoFundMe page when things take a turn.
Mexican soap opera star Eduardo Yanez slapped a reporter on Tuesday
The reporter asked questions on the red carpet about Eduardo’s son and Yanez hits out
The Univision report Paco Fuentes ended his night in a hospital as a precaution
The reporter filed charges with the LAPD against the actor claiming assault and battery
He tweeted an apology but added that his personal life ‘is not for sale’
Eduardo’s son set up a GoFundMe page to pay for a car he had recently crashed.
He and his son have a strained relationship that became public back in June after the son accused his famous father on Twitter of being a drug addict, racist and woman abuser.
During the interview, Paco asks Eduardo why his son doesn’t just ask his father for the money.
Eduardo responded in Spanish: ‘If you’re so worried about my son, you send him the money.’
The actor was at an event for Sprint in Los Angeles on Tuesday
The reporter responds that he’s just doing his job and reminds Eduardo the press is the link between public figures and the people.
That’s when the soap star accuses the Paco of just trying to make a big deal out of the situation, calling the reporter and ‘pure a**’ and saying, ‘You’re not the link between anything and stop disrespecting me.’
The reporter is mid-sentencing saying he never disrespected the star when Eduardo lunges forward and slaps him.
After the slap, Eduardo stands tall with his chest out while Paco puts his arms up in a motion of surrender.
Paco Fuented is the reporter for the Univison show El Gordo y La Flaco who was slapped
The GoFundMe was started by the actor’s son who was raising money for a new car
The actor’s son, pictured, said in the fundraiser that he was embarrassed to ask for money but didn’t know what to do
The moment has gone viral, sending fans in a frenzy calling for Paco to sue the actor.
Eduardo tweeted an apology in Spanish that reads: ‘I want to ask a sincere apology to the public and the person affected by my action. It was not correct. My personal life is not for sale.’
Twitter users are saying that Eduardo has a history of violence with reporters.
If Yanez is charged and convicted, he could face a maximum of six months in jail.
Another user tweeted at Sprint to ask if the company will continue to sponsor the actor after acting out at the cellular company’s event.
Eduardo is a spokesman for the company appearing in ads in Latin America. He was at company-sponsored event when he lashed out at the reporter.
Twitter users were furious with the actor and tweeted that the reporter should sue
Another user doesn’t accept the actor’s apology and reminds him that he is a public figure
One Twitter user tweeted at Sprint to ask if the company is going to cut ties with the actor
Another reporter, Lupita Hererra, was on the red carpet and witnessed the whole thing.
She said she interviewed Eduardo immediately before and asked him the same question about his son which also made him angry.
‘In my opinion,’ Lupita said, ‘Fuentes was just doing his job. And Eduardo needs anger management.’
Paco appeared on the Univsion morning show El Gordo y La Flaca to talk with his co-workers and hosts about the incident.
He appeared with a small bruise under his right eye and said his night ended in the hospital to make sure his ear and eye were okay.
Paco told them there is no justification for Eduardo’s actions.