From Her Over-Controlling Father to Being Disliked by Many, This Is the Story of Selena Quintanilla

Selena Quintanilla's rise to fame was gradual, but once she gained a foothold, it seemed like she was going to be an unstoppable force in music. However, her life and career were brought to an abrupt end when she was killed by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar, in 1995. The details of her life have been told and retold in the twenty years since her death, but there's a lot of those stories have left out for some reason or another. The hidden details are even more exciting. Was Selena hiding a massive secret when she died or was she simply a talent who was gone too soon? Let's find out.

Fighting Upstream

Selena Quintanilla may be one of the most successful Latina music artists of all time, but the path to stardom wasn't an easy one.

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When she first began to break through in the Tejano music market, many believed she would never gain a foothold as a woman. At the time, Tejano music, also known as Tex-Mex music, was dominated by male artists. No one could imagine that a woman would have any appeal, but boy were they wrong.

Under Papa's Nose

In 1992, when Selena was only 21 years old, she eloped with her guitarist, Chris Perez. They had previously shown affection publicly, but were forced to make their relationship a secret when Selena's father forbid them from seeing each other.

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Instead, they decided to marry one another in secret. Selena believed that her father might be more accepting if they were married. The plan backfired after the media publicized their nuptials. Selena was subsequently estranged from her father for some time.

Stealing Away in the Night

In a scathing tell-all that was published several years after Selena's death, her biographer revealed that there were some who believed Selena was planning on running away with her doctor when she died.

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The claim stems from the fact that a suitcase was found in her hotel room that had been packed with all of her clothes alongside a work permit for Mexico. Though Ricardo Martinez maintains the two had a romantic relationship, Selena's family considers the claim a lie.

Her Way or the Highway

During her short time in the public eye, Selena not only built herself a music career, but was also building a career in fashion. Before her death, she owned several fashion boutiques around Texas.

Twitter // @missingmyselena

However, it seems that her business practices weren't always up to snuff. One of the allegations that emerged against her was that she would arbitrarily fire employees that she disliked for purely personal reasons. Some think this may have even contributed to her death.