Peruvian television personality and race car driver Mario Hart denied on Monday, August 24, 2026, that he ever threatened to take his daughter away from Venezuelan model Korina Rivadeneira if the couple were to separate, calling the accusation something he considered extremely serious.
Hart made the denial during a return appearance on the podcast "Sin mas que decir," speaking while he was outside Peru, in response to recent statements Rivadeneira had made about their relationship. He said her words had been distorted by third parties and insisted he never intended to take their eldest daughter, Lara, away from her mother.
Defending the 50/50 agreement
During the appearance, Hart also explained why he had agreed to a 50/50 arrangement with Rivadeneira throughout their relationship, saying it reflected the fact that she earned more than he did at the time.
Hart said he did not want to leave Rivadeneira looking like a liar, but that he was not willing to let false things be said about him.
Says he never blocked custody
Hart, who has previously said he is afraid of being kept away from his children, said he never threatened Rivadeneira with taking their daughter. He said that when the two agreed to separate in January of this year, he told her their children would stay with her and that he would be the one to leave, and that he wanted her and the children to be comfortable together.
He said he never put up any obstacle or objection to the children living with their mother.
Podcast host Maria Pia Copello then asked what Rivadeneira had meant by her remarks. Hart replied that she had left some things ambiguous, which he said had left room for interpretation among people commenting on the situation. He said he was trying to clarify to those people that things were not the way they were being described or interpreted.
Sympathy for Rivadeneira
Hart said he could put himself in Rivadeneira's position, suggesting that she might currently lack emotional support despite backing from his own family. He said it was possible no one was advising her on what was right or wrong and that she was acting on her own initiative, adding that sometimes trying to do the right thing can make things look bad. He said she might be feeling very alone at the moment and that he fully sympathized with her.
Who are Mario Hart and Korina Rivadeneira
Hart is a Peruvian television personality and race car driver who became known through the reality competition show "Combate." Rivadeneira is a Venezuelan model and actress. The couple share children together, including their eldest daughter, Lara, and separated earlier this year. Hart has also recently addressed the reasons behind the end of the relationship, saying the two of them had made a mistake.
