This is the moment an actress hit an audience member during a live TV show for criticising her son who has Down syndrome.

Movie and theatre actress Evelina Bledans was taking part in ‘Live’, a popular chat show on Russian TV presented by Andrey Malakhov.

The topic was about having a baby later in life and Bledans was invited on the show because she is pregnant with her third child at nearly 50 years old.

The pregnancy was achieved with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and Bledans dreams of having a daughter.

However, one audience member did not share in the beautiful actress’s joy.

Theatre head Elena Lebedeva was passed a microphone and 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?

Evelina Bledans slaps audience member Elena Lebedeva (Picture: CEN)

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

During Lebedeva’s diatribe, Bledans tries to calmly interrupt but without any success.

She coolly gets to her feet and strolls over to the audience member while one of the guests tries to diffuse the tension by telling Lebedeva to leave the studio.

Bledans stands in front of the audience member and says: ‘You wretch, I will smack you! This is for my child, understand?’

She adds: ‘You can say anything about me, but leave my children alone!’

Russian actress Evelina Bledans plays with her son Semoyn, a child with Down syndrome (Picture: AFP)

Her son Semyon, who she shares with TV producer Alexander Semin, was born with Down syndrome.

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The couple divorced last year.

Her eldest son Nikolay, 24, currently lives in Israel.