Selena | Photo: Q Productions
The Telemundo series “El Secreto de Selena” is “reopening the wounds” forAbraham Quintanilla Jr., the father of the slain Tejano icon, and her family.
In a statement released in Spanish via the Q Productions Facebook page on Wednesday, Quintanilla denounced the series based on a book by Telemundo journalistMaria Celeste Arrarás. The 13-episode series, that began airing on Telemundo on Aug. 25, features untold stories about Selena’s death and relationships.
“In recent weeks my family and I have lived a real torture, avoiding the media and ignoring the lack of respect and the nerve of Maria Celeste Arrarás, a false journalist, who mocks and, as if she is possessed, dances on the grave of my beloved daughter, Selena, with her fake ‘documentary’ that she calls a true story. It is definitely not a true story, because it is based on falsehoods that, although they are scandalous and sell, also hurt and dirty the name of an innocent person who can no longer defend herself. The main objective of María Celeste is to make money and hang on Selena’s fame, not to clarify any mystery, because the court studied all circumstances carefully and came to a blunt and clear decision.”
“The true story is that since the death of my beloved daughter Selena my family and I have dedicated every second to protecting, elevating and honoring her short life. There is no day when my wife Marcella and I do not shed a tear, because the pain of losing Selena is a constant pain and we feel it in every detail, in every moment, because the pain is in itself very great,” Quintanilla writes. “Selena was a young woman with great aspirations and focused on her family and her musical career, her clothing designs and her many projects.
“Selena was happy and did not suffer, as the false journalist asserts. She had a lot to live for and looked forward to the best moment of her career, releasing her first album in the English market.”
Quintanilla calls Arrarás a “leech” who is taking advantage of his daughter’s name, image and music. He says Selena cannot defend herself because Yolanda Saldivar killed her, and he cannot stay quiet when Arrarás defames Selena’s character with that “shameful cartoon.”
In December 2018, Netflix announced a series based on the life of Selena will be added to the streaming service. This series is the only project, other than the 1997Selenafilm, that is authorized by the Quintanilla family. The show will follow Selena’s rise to fame and her tragic death at the hands of her former fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar.
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