MTV's 'Siesta Key' Premiere Canceled After Alex Kompothecras Receives Death Threats

The 22-year-old Alex Kompothecras, one of the stars of a new MTV reality show "Siesta Key" has been receiving death threats over a viral video from last week that allegedly shows one of his friends dragging a shark by its fin. Due to the controversy, MTV was forced to cancel the premiere party for "Siesta Key" on Monday night where Kompothecras is one of several young Floridians appearing in the reality show.

Although, Kompothecras denied of any involvement in the video, animal activists claimed the reality TV star was guilty of other cruelty to animals, reports said.

"Siesta Key" will be a "docuseries" which will feature a group of young adults confronting issues of "love, heartbreak, betrayal, class, and looming adulthood" as they spend the summer in their hometown, according to its official website.

The controversial video was filmed by Kompothecras' friend, Michael Wenzel, and was posted on Instagram, before being deleted. The video allegedly shows a group of three men dragging a shark by its fin while having fun. The video is being investigated by animal cruelty agencies, but as of now, no charges have been pressed against the three involved, the Daily Mail reported.

Read: Man Clicks Picture Of Encounter With 16-Foot Great White Shark

The three men later posed for photographs as well with the shark's mutilated carcass. A Facebook page "Boycott Siesta Key MTV" has been created and it has earned over 9,500 likes in a few days' time.

"Over the past few days, the connection between the production of the Siesta Key show and the horrific videos and photos of animal abuse have come to light," according the Facebook event page for the protest.

Kompothecras has confirmed the person in the video is a friend but at the same time, he also slammed his friend's behavior. He wrote in a Facebook post: "I had absolutely nothing to do with the shark video...Yes he's a friend of mine, but no I don't agree with what he did. Check your facts before you go posting on my page. Thanks." The post was later deleted.

Kompothecras' father, Dr. Gary Kompothecras, a Sarasota chiropractor told Tampa Bay Times the death threats received by his son was one of the reasons for the party getting canceled but not the sole cause. "I wouldn't say that's the only reason," he said. "There are other reasons."

Read: Shark Attacks 12-Year-Old Girls On South Carolina Beach

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has not yet released the names of the men who were allegedly involved in the shark cruelty video. However, social media users have said one of them is Michael Wenzel, who was investigated in 2015 by state and federal officials. He was identified after he posted pictures of himself clutching pelicans and a gull, reports said.

Save the Tarpon, an Englewood-based not-for-profit that advocates for "ethical fishing practices", has been following Wenzel's behavior since 2015, after the organization got hold of a photograph showing him mishandling a tarpon, said chairman Tom McLaughlin, a longtime commercial and charter boat captain.

The group also found several photos of Wenzel on Kompothecras' boat, the Tampa Bay Times reported.