Selena Quintanilla’s husband, Chris Pérez, first met her in 1990 when he joined the singer’s band Selena y Los Dinos as a guitarist. However, People Magazine reported that their romance was a story of forbidden love because Selena’s father disapproved of their relationship. Two years later, in April 1992, they eloped and were married for nearly three years at the time of Selena’s murder by Yolanda Saldívar.
On March 31, 1995, Saldívar, the former president of the Selena fan club, fatally shot her in Days Inn in Texas. Saldívar made herself known as the singer’s biggest fan and used to manage Selena Etc. However, the incident occurred after the singer and her family learned she had been embezzling their money and decided to fire her. In retaliation, Saldívar lured Selena to the motel and shot her. She was later convicted of murder and received a life sentence with parole after 30 years.
After Selena’s tragic demise, Chris continued his music career and even won a Grammy with his band in 2000. He published a book about their relationship titled To Selena, with Love in 2012 and continues to perform and honor the later singer’s legacy even today. Chris is now living life as an author and a musician.
Oxygen’s latest documentary series Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them recently revisited the Tejano singer’s murder case. The two-part docuseries premiered on Saturday, February 17, 2024.
Did Selena Quintanilla’s Husband Chris Pérez Ever Remarry?
According to Oxygen, Selena Quintanilla’s husband, Chris Pérez, spoke to Texas Monthly and recalled the singer’s death and his ensuing struggles with the loss. Chris said, “Everything ended, just like that. My marriage was over, my band was over. We had talked about having kids while we were still young, but that was over.”
However, Chris continued his music career, formed a self-named band, and won a Grammy for Resurrection, his 1999 album. People Magazine stated that the album featured the song “Best I Can,” which he dedicated to his late wife. In 1999, he told the L.A. Times, “I remember the day I wrote ‘Best I Can.’ I’m still not comfortable with that song. It’s pretty straightforward, in that you know people are going to know what it’s about by listening to the lyrics.”
The outlet reported that in 2001, six years after Selena Quintanilla’s death, Chris Pérez remarried. His second wife was Vanessa Villanueva, and they first met after a friend introduced them. Chris and Venessa have two children, Cassie and Noah, but the couple eventually divorced in 2008.
Chris then told the New York Post in 2008 that he hadn’t fully mourned the loss of Selena. He claimed the emotions were “too painful” to process. Chris also said that remarrying and starting a new life “was a way to get over losing her [Selena].” He further added, “I thought getting remarried would help, and it did. But the pain is still there. It’ll always be there.”
Selena Quintanilla’s husband, Chris Pérez, says her death was the “hardest thing” he has dealt with
Selena Quintanilla’s husband, Chris Pérez, says her death was the “hardest thing” he ever dealt with. Chris claims the loss still affects him today. As per People Magazine, he told E! Entertainment in the 2021 documentary episode True Hollywood Story: Death of Innocence, “I miss her face, her laughter. She was just an amazing soul, an amazing spirit.”
People Magazine reported that Chris released his memoir, To Selena, with Love, in 2012 to carry on the late singer’s legacy, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Chris told the outlet, “For years, Selena’s fans have been wondering if I was ever going to write about her. Their voices had an impact on me but, more than anything else, I wanted to show a different side of her.”
The most notable depiction of Selena Quintanilla and her husband Chris Pérez’s relationship is in the 1997 biopic Selena. In the film, Jennifer Lopez plays the late Tejano icon, while Jon Seda portrays Chris.
In 2012, Chris also told CNN that he and Selena wanted to start a family before her death. In his memoir, he further noted that while they couldn’t fulfill that, their relationship opened him up emotionally and eventually allowed him to have a family of his own.
Selena Quintanilla’s husband, Chris Pérez, has continued to honor her memory and often posts throwback photos of the two on social media.
