Ximena Navarrete and William Levy have decided to approach the media and defend themselves after receiving massive criticism over their acting on the new telenovela "La Tempestad." 

According to Terra, Levy stated that he always waits for the approval of Televisa and the directors to make sure his work was fine. He added that he was never satisfied with one take and always strived to do the best work possible.

Navarrete said that she was happy with the criticism because it was helping her grow. However she added that she preferred to get it after the project was completed and that she would prefer to hear it from fellow actors. She noted that Hollywood superstar Will Smith had applauded her work in the series.

The former Miss Universe also said that she was new to acting and felt like she had grown throughout the process. She also stated that when she won Miss Universe she received a lot of criticism and that she learned to confront it and cope with it.

"La Tempestad" aired in May in Mexico and has received mixed reviews due to the main protagonists. Critics called Levy's diction hard to understand and stated that Navarrete was too "Green" to carry a series as important as "La Tempestad."

The Mexican production has undergone its ups and downs since production began. Levy and Navarrete were criticized for taking 16 hours on a kissing scene and were asked to take acting classes because they had no chemistry. The production team also criticized Levy for his hard-to-understand Cuban accent. The producers stated that Levy's Spanish was barely comprehensible and a complete headache; they blamed the problem on Levy's numerous appearances in American television and film.  

Levy was also criticized for his hairdo and recently stated that his character would eventually get a new look.

"La Tempestad" also stars, Laura Carmine, Jessica Coch, Diana Bracho, Cesar Evora, Alfonso Herrera and Luis Manuel Avila. The series is based on the Colombian telenovela "La Tormenta." A U.S date will soon be announced.