The Cuban comedian Alexis Valdés posted a video on Facebook this Monday in which he denies physically assaulting the actress Zajaris Fernández during the altercation they had on Sunday, July 20, at a bar in Miami, right in the middle of the 2026 World Cup final.
In the message lasting just over two minutes, Valdés does not mention Zajaris by name nor provides a detailed account of the events, but he is unequivocal in his denial: "At no time have I hit anyone, I do not like violence, I am not in favor of violence."
The comedian focused his remarks on denouncing what he called "media bullying" and "defamation" on social media, warning that this type of verbal violence "destroys many lives in our society and has been normalized, but it is not normal."
He also pointed out those who, in his view, make a living from the scandals of others: "I have never hit anyone and I am completely against manipulation, distortion, defamation, and the media abuse that some people exert over others to mercilessly destroy their reputation."
The version of Zajaris, offered in a over 31-minute Instagram live stream in the early hours of Monday, July 20, is radically different.
According to her account, it was Claudia Valdés, the comedian's partner, who took the first step by approaching their table to ask him to leave: "Could you kindly leave the place where we are?"
When she refused, Alexis Valdés approached her at least four times to confront her, accusing her of being an ally of the communicator Alex Otaola, of speaking ill of his daughters, and of being a "little drug user," an accusation that Zajaris flatly rejected: "I don’t drink alcohol. I never have a drink in my life."
When the actress tried to record the incident with her phone, Valdés knocked it out of her hands twice, breaking the screen and the rear camera, and shoved her, prompting others present to intervene: "People had to step in to separate him, to get him off me," she described.
The police arrived at the scene, took a report of the incident, and ordered Alexis and Claudia Valdés to leave the establishment. There were no arrests because Zajaris, despite his lawyer's recommendation, chose not to press charges.
Regarding the real origin of the conflict, Zajaris was direct: "The only problem we might have is a certain amount of money. Nothing more," referencing a debt that, according to her, Valdés has owed her for years.
She also denied the accusation of being an ally of Otaola: "I haven't spoken to Otaola in two years. And even so, I haven't stopped supporting his ideals that relate to me." Otaola himself confirmed the incident on Instagram and corroborated that they have not communicated for two years.
The dispute between Valdés and Otaola dates back to 2022, when the communicator accused him of paying miserable wages to artists, and mutual attacks have continued to this day, dividing sectors of the Cuban exile community in Miami.
Zajaris described Valdés's behavior as "abusive" and compared it to methods used by the Cuban regime: "Today you exhibited a socialist communist attitude, abusive, you broke my phone."
The bar had security cameras that would have recorded everything that happened, a detail the actress emphasized repeatedly during her broadcast. The police report of the incident will be available around August 2, approximately 14 days after the altercation.
Zajaris concluded his live stream with a phrase that sums up his stance: "Down with the dictatorship and those who act like dictators, regardless of which side they're on."
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