Mario Hart has responded to recent comments from Korina Rivadeneira about the financial arrangement the couple kept during their years-long relationship, denying that he ever demanded the Venezuelan model contribute money, including while she was pregnant.
The former reality television star said the 50/50 split was a decision both partners agreed on together, as a couple and as parents.
Hart says the split was voluntary
Hart said the financial agreement began in the early years of his relationship with Rivadeneira. At the time, the couple lived in a small apartment that Hart had bought while he was still single, but after the birth of their first daughter, they decided to improve their lifestyle and living conditions as a family.
It was in that context that they agreed to split expenses equally, Hart said. He stressed that the decision did not come from any demand he placed on Rivadeneira.
Speaking on the podcast "Sin Más Que Decir," Hart said that as a couple and a family, they decided together to share expenses, adding that there was never a demand from him toward her and that it was voluntary from the start.
Hart also praised Rivadeneira's independence, saying it was one of the qualities that attracted him to her from the beginning of their relationship. He said he was drawn to an independent woman who could support herself, adding that this was the kind of partner he had been looking for.
He said Rivadeneira's income grew thanks to opportunities she received from various brands following her pregnancy, and that in some years she ended up earning more than he did.
Denies pressuring her during pregnancy
Hart said the couple's combined income allowed them to maintain a good standard of living and cover their expenses without major difficulties. He said he was not a millionaire but also did not consider himself poor, and that together they had a solid enough income that let them avoid living paycheck to paycheck.
He also denied ever forcing Rivadeneira to make financial contributions while she was pregnant. As an example, he pointed to the pandemic period, when he had little work of his own, recalling that the couple went on to create a reality show about parenting that helped them get by financially during that time.
Hart, a former racing driver known for competing on the reality series "Esto Es Guerra," said he believed Rivadeneira's recent comments may have been misinterpreted. He said her independence was always a quality he valued and one she herself was eager to demonstrate within the relationship, adding that she was always very insistent on that point.
