“View gallery Image Credit: Getty Images Netflix’s upcoming documentary Selena y Los Dinos is once again shining a spotlight on the rise of Selena Quintanilla — and the people who were closest to her, including Yolanda Saldívar. The new project, created in partnership with Selena’s family and featuring never-before-seen footage, revisits the singer’s early career, her”, — write: hollywoodlife.com
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Image Credit: Getty Images Netflix’s upcoming documentary Selena y Los Dinos is once again shining a spotlight on the rise of Selena Quintanilla — and the people who were closest to her, including Yolanda Saldívar. The new project, created in partnership with Selena’s family and featuring never-before-seen footage, revisits the singer’s early career, her relationships, and the growing inner circle that surrounded her during her meteoric rise to fame.
One of the most tragic threads in Selena’s story is her connection to Yolanda, a former nurse who inserted herself into the singer’s orbit by first launching her fan club and later managing her boutiques. What began as a seemingly loyal friendship quickly turned into something darker, ultimately leading to the devastating moment in 1995 when Yolanda murdered Selena at just 23 years old — a loss that changed Latin music forever.
HollywoodLife has 5 key things you need to know about Yolanda.
Yolanda Saldívar with Selena Quintanilla. (Shutterstock) Yolanda murdered Selena on March 31, 1995 Selena’s family had discovered financial discrepancies with her fan club and boutiques, which Yolanda had been in charge of. Yolanda had recently been fired from her job working for the Quintanilla family. Selena set up a meeting at the Days Inn Motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, to confront Yolanda on March 31, 1995. However, there were reports that Yolanda claimed she was raped and wanted Selena to meet her at the motel.
Yolanda brought a gun and shot Selena once in the back during their confrontation. Selena made it to the lobby before she collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital, but she was later pronounced dead. The bullet had shattered an artery in her collarbone before exiting her chest, which caused significant blood loss.
Yolanda was once Selena’s fan club president The former nurse became Selena’s fan club president after contacting Selena’s dad, Abraham Quintanilla, about starting one. She was later made the manager of Selena’s clothing boutiques and became close with Selena and her family.
Selena Quintanilla at the 1994 Grammys. (Shutterstock) Selena’s final words identified Yolanda as her killer After she was shot, Selena ran into the motel lobby and told multiple employees that Yolanda shot her. “I asked who shot her. She said the lady in Room 158. She moaned. Her eyes rolled up,” the motel’s assistant manager, Rosalinda Gonzalez, said in court, according to AP. Shawna Vela, a front desk clerk, admitted that Selena told her, “Lock the door! She’ll shoot me again.” Yolanda was arrested after a 9.5-hour standoff with police.
Yolanda is now serving a life sentence in prison Yolanda’s trial took place in Oct. 1995. She pleaded not guilty and claimed she had intended to use the gun on herself. On Oct. 24, 1995, a jury took less than 3 hours to convict Yolanda. She was convinced of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility of parole until March 2025. The 60-year-old is serving her sentence at Gatesville, a women’s prison in Texas.
On March 30, 2025, the Quintanilla family and Chris Perez released a statement regarding Yolanda Saldívar’s eligibility for parole, noting that it has been denied by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Their statement read, “Today, we are grateful that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has chosen to deny parole for Yolanda Saldívar. While nothing can bring Selena back, this decision reaffirms that justice continues to stand for the beautiful life that was taken from us and from millions of fans around the world far too soon.”
Natasha Perez plays Yolanda in ‘Selena: The Series.’ (Netflix) The actress playing in ‘Selena: The Series’ worries for her safety Natasha Perez plays Yolanda in Netflix’s Selena: The Series. “The actress in me is fascinated by the journey of a complex character, but the human in me has all sorts of feelings. The actress in me is also worried for her safety,” she told EW. “A lot of people take this very seriously and think that it’s real, and in this case, the character is real, but it’s not me. I’m not her.”