From the very beginning, those opposed to Telemundo’s attempt to adapt María Celeste Arrarás’s book, El Secreto de Selena, into a series have made their concerns clear. Some believe the book is filled with inaccuracies and irresponsibly centers the voice of Yolanda Saldívar – the woman who killed the Mexican-American icon. And after a trailer for the show leaked recently, fans of La Reina de Tejano have called out the show for its graphic depiction of Selena’s death.
The two-minute trailer opens with Yolanda Saldivar shooting the pop star. What follows next is gory. Security-style footage shows Selena walks out of a hotel room and into the lobby seeking help, as her clothes become tinted with her blood. Just on the video’s YouTube page, people have said it looks like a “horror film,” that “it disrespects the singer’s memory,” and “couldn’t [María Celeste] have at least left out all the blood.”
The book – which alleges that Selena was having an affair – is not well received by pop star’s family. At the beginning of the year, Selena’s sister, Suzette, called out María Celeste. “It makes my stomach sick to think that – what kind of world do we live in, where it’s OK to have your source of somebody writing a book, the actual killer who took my sister’s life?” she said in an Instagram video.
In response to the backlash, she penned an open letter to Selena’s fans, where she struck down claims that she wrote the book based only on Saldívar’s testimony.
A post shared by Maria Celeste (@mariacelestearraras) on
Regardless of where you side with the Quintanillas or Arrarás, the leaked trailer is hard to watch and the series as a whole makes Selena’s family relive one of the most painful moments in their lives.
