Actress SLAPS audience member who criticised her Down Syndrome son

A Russian actress physically assaulted a female audience member during a chat show after the other woman criticised her for having a baby at 49. 

Evelina Bledans, who is expecting her third child, had been invited to come on the show 'Live' to speak about falling pregnant later in life.

However, while taking questions from the audience, an audience member accused her of endangering her unborn child's health and exposing the child to Down Syndrome. She went on to point out that one of Ms Bledans' sons has Down syndrome. 

Audience member Elena Lebedeva said live on air:

It is dangerous to give birth between the ages of 35 and 40 so what about 49? What were you thinking?

Do you want to give birth to another sick child?

Will you give birth to another child with Down syndrome? Nobody needs such a child, not society and not you.

As Lebedeva threw the verbal accusations, Ms Bledans tried to calmly interrupt but without any success. She then coolly got to her feet and strolled over to the audience member while one of the guests tried to diffuse the tension by telling Lebedeva to leave the studio, but Lebedeva kept talking

When Ms Bledans got to the front of the audience member, she said: "You wretch, I will smack you! This is for my child, understand?"

As she spoke, she smacked her at least twice, then added: "You can say anything about me, but leave my children alone!"

Ms Bledan's youngest son Semyon, who she shares with TV producer Alexander Semin, was born in 2012 and has Down syndrome. Ms Bledan and Semin divorced last year and she is now expecting a girl after undergoing IVF treatment. Her eldest son Nikolay, 24, currently lives in Israel.