Television hosts assault woman during live show

Santo Domingo: Three television hosts assaulted a woman presenter and pulled out her hair after she called them homosexuals during a live show broadcast on the national network.

Enrique Crespo, Ali David and Tommy "La Berny" Castillo attacked Venya Carolina on live television as she called them homosexuals, the Commission on Public Entertainment and Radiophony said in a statement Friday. The on-air brawl occurred Wednesday night on a controversial celebrity talk show "Los Duenos del Circo," co-hosted by the three men and also a woman host named Anaylis Canizares. During the broadcast, Venya Carolina walked on the set uninvited and became embroiled in an argument with the hosts over their frequent previous criticisms of her. Amid the heated discussion, Carolina called the men homosexuals and they responded by calling her a prostitute and being under the effects of drugs or alcohol. Carolina attacked Crespo, who retaliated by throwing her onto a sofa. She next tried to hit Castillo and David, who threw her to the ground and struck her several times. Castillo and David later triumphantly presented to the audience clumps of hair they had pulled out of Carolina`s head. Authorities Friday suspended the three men for their actions. The three hosts will not be allowed to conduct radio or television programmes for a period of three to six months and once the suspension is lifted, they must reapply for accreditation before being able to return to work. Carolina, meanwhile, said she had been a victim of disrespect for her integrity as a woman and called on her media colleagues to support her in protesting the actions of the three men. "They beat me in full view of the whole country, who could see on their TV screens how Los Duenos del Circo dragged me on the floor, stepped on my face and pulled out clumps of my hair," Carolina said. IANS