Selena’s Father Sues to Stop TV Series
The father of late Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla has filed a lawsuit to stop production on a new TV series about the singer, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports.
The show was announced in mid-November and was to be based on To Selena, With Love, the 2012 memoir by the singer’s widower, Chris Perez. Abraham Quintanilla Jr.’s lawsuit, however, calls the book “unauthorized” and claims that any adaptation into a TV show, movie or miniseries is prohibited.
According to the suit, Perez previously signed an agreement to “not exploit” Selena’s name or likeness in various mediums in exchange for 25 percent of the net profits derived from official Selena projects. Along with Perez, the lawsuit names Endemol Latino – a wing of the Dutch-based media company – and Blue Mariachi, the production company of Perez and Carlito Miranda.
The TV show was reportedly being developed for both English and Spanish audiences, according to a post on Perez’s Facebook page. While To Selena, With Love was to serve as the primary text, the series would “also include details, stories, perspective and insights which were not covered in the book.”
“I spent several years keeping the memories of my late wife bottled up inside,” Perez said at the time. “To Selena, With Love allowed me to finally embrace my experience and understand the void it could fill in the hearts of so many others. I am now ready to take the important step of being fully transparent and bringing my everlasting relationship to life on the screen.”
Yolanda Saldívar, the president of the singer’s fan club, murdered Selena in 1995. This year, Selena was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, while in 2017 she’ll be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The third annual Fiesta de la Flor, which celebrates Selena’s life, is set to take place March 24th and 25th in Corpus Christi, Texas.