Selena Quintanilla’s Father is Writing a Book About Her Life
This week marks 25 years since Mexican-American superstar, Selena Quintanilla, was killed.
To commemorate her brief but influential life, Selena’s father, Abraham, announced this week the news that he will be writing a book about his slain daughter and her legacy.
Selena’s death 25 years ago
Gone far too soon, the “Dreaming of You” pop star was shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of the singer’s fan club. Selena was only 23.
On the morning of March 31, 1995, Saldívar was able to convince Selena to come to her motel room, saying she had business papers for her.
At the room, the “Dreaming of You” star and Saldívar argued loudly, according to motel guests. They said they heard two women arguing about business matters.
Selena was prepared to fire Saldívar and dumped a bag containing bank statements onto the bed and saw Saldívar’s gun, which the older woman grabbed and pointed at the singer.
As Selena tried to run, her fan club president and boutique assistant shot her, hitting an artery. By the time paramedics arrived, she had bled profusely and died at the hospital.
Abraham’s former son-in-law wrote a book about Selena as well
Selena’s husband, Chris Perez, wrote a book about her in 2012. While the estate agreement that Perez signed with the Quintanilla family shortly after her death prohibited him from producing books, television, or movie deals about Selena, Abraham gave Perez his blessing on the book.
That same agreement gave the late singer’s father full control over all “Entertainment Properties,” including contract, trademark and copyright rights, rights to income, rights of publicity, rights to name, voice, signature, and photographs, among other rights, “throughout the world in perpetuity without restriction.”
Perez spoke with The Hollywood Reporter at that time about his former father-in-law’s support for the book.
“I didn’t say anything to anyone while writing it. It wasn’t because I was afraid of the reaction, but I just wanted to be at peace when I was writing it. When I was done and talked to Abraham about it, he said, ‘Son, if it’s something you feel you need to do, you have every right to do it.’ “
“It was something that I had to do in order to move forward. I was dealing with boxes and boxes of baggage that I had suppressed. So I went through, dusted them off, and then wrote the book.”
Abraham’s upcoming book about Selena
The now-81-year-old father of the “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” singer posted on Facebook in Feb. 2020 about his coming memoir and how it will differ from other books that have been written about his daughter.
“Today I finally finished the last chapter of my book that I have been writing for the last few months. . . Since my daughter Selena died I was wanting to write a book.”
In his statement, he alluded to María Celeste Arrarás, a journalist for Latin network, Telemundo, who wrote a book and hosted a television series based on this book, called Selena’s Secret, which hinted at the possibility of Selena having had an affair with a doctor in Mexico.
“The public might not be aware that there are about 21 unauthorized books written about Selena and none of the writers ever interviewed Selena. And I feel that the most ugly book was written by Telemundo’s Maria Celeste Ararras [sic], the woman for reasons which I can’t understand took sides with the woman who killed Selena.”
“My family and I and Chris Perez know exactly what happened, as l mentioned non of the writers or even Maria Celeste ever interviewed Selena. I will release the book later this year.”
No specific publication date has been announced, other than that the book will be available this year. It will have to be seen what new information Abraham will provide in the memoir.
Read more: Selena Quintanilla’s Husband, Chris Perez, After Her Death – ‘Her Family Didn’t Make It Easy’
