Mexican Singer Alicia Villarreal Asks for Help on Stage – Here’s What’s Happening
Mexican singer Alicia Villareal performs during the "Vive Grupero" music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, May 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
This weekend, Alicia Villarreal went viral after making the domestic violence sign, known as the Signal for Help, on stage during her performance in Michoacán, Mexico (Feb. 16). Since then, the popular Mexican singer reportedly filed a formal complaint at The Specialized Prosecutor for Femicides and Crimes Against Women in Monterrey, Mexico, against her husband, music producer and former Kumbia Kings member Cruz Martínez for alleged domestic violence.
Media outlets have been reporting occurrences of alleged domestic abuse after footage of the singer signing for help started to circulate on the Internet. Though the official details are not yet public, Mexican media outlets speculate that the domestic violence occurred on Feb. 15 after a heated argument with Martínez at their shared house in Monterrey. They allege that Villarreal went to the hospital for assistance because of the physical violence. More speculations include that the singer accused her husband of theft.
Villarreal, aware of the social media interactions, has been reposting media reports and support coming from journalists, fans, and beyond, on Instagram. However, it wasn’t until yesterday (Feb. 19), that the former Grupo Límite singer spoke out about the situation publicly.
After filing the complaint, she talked to the press with the help of her legal representative. She said: “I am grateful that you’ve waited for me for so many hours. I am also very grateful to the authorities who have given me time, and to all the people. I am really dealing with this, which has been difficult. We have come [here] to declare these facts, and the final decisions will be made by [the authorities],” before finishing her thought, she brings in her lawyer to talk.
“We are here to make the facts known, the circumstances that [Villarreal] narrates, everything was brought to the attention of the authorities, she was asked all the necessary questions, and now we expect the authorities to make their own decisions,” her legal representative said. “We are not judges, neither is she. The only thing she is doing is to inform the authorities about her current living situation, and about what happened. As of today, the authorities will make the decisions they have to make.”
She then reiterated to the press that the authorities would decide on the outcome. When a reporter asked how long it would take to know the result of the complaint, she replied, “A couple of days.”
Villarreal has been in the process of divorcing Martínez since late last year.
