Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making Of “Selena”

Yolanda

While the movie depicts Yolanda Saldívar as significantly older than Selena, in reality she was only eleven years older than her. Yolanda has an interesting story. She was a registered nurse who had adopted three children, one of them her niece. She became a fan of Tejano music and approached another artist, Shelly Lares, about starting a fan club. Lares’ father declined the invitation. Afterward Saldívar’s friends encouraged her to try Selena even though she didn’t like the singer because she dominated the Tejano Music Awards. After going to one of Selena’s concerts, she called Abraham repeatedly until he gave in to her requests. She was eventually promoted to manager of Selena’s clothing boutiques. And the fan club grew from 1,500 members to 5,000 by 1993. As the movie depicts, they learned that Saldívar was stealing money from the boutiques and fired her. Three weeks later, Selena agreed to meet so she could turn over records she had been withholding. Oddly, Saldívar claimed she had been raped. Selena drove her to the hospital and they found no signs of rape. When Selena returned back to the hotel, she asked for the documents again and that’s when Saldívar shot her in the shoulder. Selena ran towards the lobby, collapsed and a clerk called the ambulance. All the while Yolanda was still chasing her, calling her a bitch. Selena died in the hospital from a loss of blood. Yolanda was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility for parole in 2025. Due to several death threats from Selena fans, Yolanda was placed in isolation. She spends 23 hours a day in a 9×6 cell. She purchased a radio and is allowed to visit with friends and family for two hours each week.