The past few months have been challenging for entertainment journalist Mariela Sotomayor. Sotomayor became embroiled in controversy following discussions on the show Zona de Estrellas regarding a potentially compromising video of the reporter, causing her significant distress.
During an appearance on Podemos Hablar, Sotomayor revisited the incident, detailing how she experienced it. She told Diana Bolocco that before rumors of the alleged video surfaced, she attended a party with people outside her usual social circle.
That evening, Sotomayor had a couple of drinks and then, as she put it, “apagó tele” – essentially “blacked out” – and doesn’t clearly recall what happened next.
“I had two drinks, I was dancing, and at one point I don’t remember anything else. The only thing I remember is being outside the venue with glazed eyes and trembling legs. I don’t know what they gave me, but I think something was given to me since I had very strange symptoms,” she added.
Shortly after that experience, a colleague, Pablo Candia, informed her that rumors were circulating about a supposed compromising recording related to the events of that night. Even without confirmation of the video’s existence, the mere thought of it caused her considerable stress. The incident highlights the pressures faced by public figures in the entertainment industry.
A Tricky Year for Sotomayor
“I lived a nightmare for an entire year,” Sotomayor stated, referencing the fallout from the rumors. The situation escalated when she revealed that even Daniela Aránguiz contacted her to warn her about the alleged recordings, but Sotomayor insisted: “I seek to tell everyone that she has never had, nor will she ever have, a video of mine.”
As the rumors grew, others became involved. There was even speculation that Mario Velasco possessed a video of the journalist, a claim consistently denied by the Zona de Estrellas panel.
Faced with this distressing situation, the entertainment reporter revealed she was prepared to take drastic measures to avoid exposure.
“Because of this lie, I have lived a terrible year. I thought my career was over, I even thought about paying whatever it took for that video,” she confessed.
