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Selena's Husband Chris Pérez Says He's 'Amicably Resolved' Long-Standing Legal Feud With Her Family
Abraham Quintanilla and Chris Pérez have battled over the Tejano star's legacy for years.
Selena’s husband Chris Pérez has announced that he and his late wife’s family have resolved their long legal feud.
“Good news! I have amicably resolved my legal dispute with the Quintanilla family,” Pérez tweeted on Tuesday. “Now that these issues are behind us, going forward, my hope, and the hope of the Quintanilla family, is for us to work together to continue to honor and celebrate the legacy of Selena.”
It's not clear what the details of the resolution are.
Selena’s father Abraham Quintanilla wrote a very similarly worded statement on his Facebook, also on Tuesday.
Chris Pérez and Selena Quintanilla-Pérez’s relationship created controversy within the Tejano star’s family and band. Abraham didn’t approve of Pérez's secret relationship with Selena, or their 1992 elopement, he wrote in his 2012 book, "To Selena, With Love." Pérez, a professional guitarist, even told CNN in 2012 that Abraham once referred to him as a "cancer to his family." The protective father even kicked him out of the band.
Since Selena’s death, the disagreements have only escalated. Pérez and the Quintanilla family have been in a legal dispute since 2016 over Pérez's desire to make miniseries based on his book. After he announced a television detail, Abraham sued him for “unauthorized exploitation” of Selena’s image, Billboard reported last year. Pérez in turn accused Abraham of luring him into an agreement after Selena’s 1995 murder that offered him only 25% of Selena's posthumous career earnings when he said he would have been entitled to much more as the 23-year-old star had no will and he likely would have the principal beneficiary, Billboard reported. Pérez had been fighting that agreement.
While Pérez never created his own series, “Selena: The Series,” debuted on Netflix in 2020. It focuses on the star and her family. Pérez was not consulted.
He has continued making music since his departure from Selena’s band. He formed a group called the Chris Pérez Band, which won a Grammy Award in 2000 for best Latin rock/alternative performance. The band broke up later that year, and after a few other musical projects, he created the Chris Pérez Project by 2011, My San Antonio reported at the time.
