Who Is Dr. Ricardo Martinez and How Was He Involved With Selena Quintanilla?

In the years following Selena Quintanilla-Perez's murder, multiple rumors would emerge about the Queen of Tejano Music's personal life.

One such rumor stems from the Mexican-American pop star's fashion boutiques Selena, Etc., two of which were opened in 1994. At the time of her death, Selena was in the midst of opening a third boutique in Monterrey, Mexico, where fans would be able to shop for merchandise and be pampered at an on-site spa. While the third location never came to fruition, details about the boutique came to light during the trial of Selena's convicted killer Yolanda Saldivar — who participated in the Oxygen documentary Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them, streaming on Peacock. Among those details is the name Ricardo Martinez, a mysterious figure who was purportedly involved in the opening of the boutique.

So, who exactly is Dr. Ricardo Martinez?

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Dr. Ricardo Martinez

The Monterrey-based doctor's name was first mentioned in the days leading up to the trial of Yolanda Saldivar. Saldivar's defense attorneys had requested that Martinez be deposed, a request that was granted by the judge, according to District Attorney Carlos Valdez's book Justice for Selena.

In the book, Valdez writes that Martinez spoke with Saldivar's defense attorney Arnold Garcia, who asked about the nature of the medical doctor's relationship with Selena. Through a translator, Martinez claimed that he began treating Selena in 1994, before assisting her with licensing and other tasks related to opening her boutique, according to Justice for Selena. 

Dr. Martinez was never called to testify in the trial.

Selena Quintanilla. Photo: Oxygen

Allegations of an Affair

Years later, in 2012, Dr. Ricardo Martinez claimed that a love existed between him and Selena during an interview with the TV program Primer Impacto.  According to a translation of the interview featured in Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them, Dr. Martinez reportedly said, “Even though it was short, we gave ourselves to each other completely.” 

Following the interview, Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, posted a lengthy message to the family's Q Productions Facebook page denying the doctor’s claims. In the note, translated from Spanish to English, Abraham said, "It is definitely not a true story, since it is based on falsehoods that, although they are scandalous and sell, also hurt and tarnish the name of an innocent person who can no longer defend themselves."

Dr. Ricardo Martinez could not be reached for comment by the producers of Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them.