A video of Mexican TV host Tania Reza being sexually harassed by her co-host Enrique Tovar is going viral this week, but not for the reasons you might think it would. The Televisa network claims the assault was a staged effort for the sequence to go viral, but the victim alleges she was forced into calling the incident a hoax.
In a clip of the Saturday episode, Reza is seen uncomfortably resisting her "A Toda Maquina" partner’s advances.
"Just a little bit, little girl, just stay calm," Tovar tells Reza in Spanish while trying to lift up her dress on the variety show.
While Reza tries to carry on with the show, her co-presenter continues his harassment, at one point even attempting to hump Reza and grab her breast.
"I can’t work like this," Reza, removing her microphone and walking off stage, says.
Tovar then apologizes to the audience, saying Reza is "hormonal."
After a Televisa investigation into the sexual harassment claim, the network found that the hosts had planned the "offensive act," believing it would make the show go viral. The network even posted a video on YouTube of the two presenters explaining that the whole thing was a joke.
"To be truthful, we never thought it would go this far," Reza said in the video. Tovar, giggling, added: "In real life, we are best friends. The company has nothing to do with this."
Later, in a statement, Televisa announced that both hosts were fired.
"Televisa strongly condemns this act and any type of harassment … In conjunction with [the ethics code], we inform you that both presenters have been separated from the company," the statement reads.
Televisa added: "We urge Tania Reza that if what happened on the show differs from her original statement to human resources, to not have doubts in letting us know so we can support her in the process of filing a formal complaint. At Televisa, we take any form of inappropriate behavior very seriously."
But Reza claims that it was the network that told her to say the on-air harassment was a joke. In a Facebook post, the Mexican presenter explains that she was "pressured" by the company to call it a hoax.
"I have never cracked," she wrote on Monday. "(Let’s) try to get out the truth. If they force me to remove this at least I left on my social networks."
Watch a clip of the episode above.
In a clip of the Saturday episode, Reza is seen uncomfortably resisting her "A Toda Maquina" partner’s advances.
"Just a little bit, little girl, just stay calm," Tovar tells Reza in Spanish while trying to lift up her dress on the variety show.
While Reza tries to carry on with the show, her co-presenter continues his harassment, at one point even attempting to hump Reza and grab her breast.
"I can’t work like this," Reza, removing her microphone and walking off stage, says.
Tovar then apologizes to the audience, saying Reza is "hormonal."
After a Televisa investigation into the sexual harassment claim, the network found that the hosts had planned the "offensive act," believing it would make the show go viral. The network even posted a video on YouTube of the two presenters explaining that the whole thing was a joke.
"To be truthful, we never thought it would go this far," Reza said in the video. Tovar, giggling, added: "In real life, we are best friends. The company has nothing to do with this."
Later, in a statement, Televisa announced that both hosts were fired.
"Televisa strongly condemns this act and any type of harassment … In conjunction with [the ethics code], we inform you that both presenters have been separated from the company," the statement reads.
Televisa added: "We urge Tania Reza that if what happened on the show differs from her original statement to human resources, to not have doubts in letting us know so we can support her in the process of filing a formal complaint. At Televisa, we take any form of inappropriate behavior very seriously."
But Reza claims that it was the network that told her to say the on-air harassment was a joke. In a Facebook post, the Mexican presenter explains that she was "pressured" by the company to call it a hoax.
"I have never cracked," she wrote on Monday. "(Let’s) try to get out the truth. If they force me to remove this at least I left on my social networks."
Watch a clip of the episode above.