A new series about the life of the Queen of Tejano, Selena Quintanilla, is heading to Netflix...but not without some controversy. In Selena: The Series, Christian Serratos will portray the late singer, while Jesse Posey plays her husband and one-time guitarist Chris Pérez. Now, the real Pérez claims he is completely uninvolved in the upcoming TV show.
In an Instagram posted this weekend, Pérez shared an image of Posey playing the guitar. The photo was taken from Netflix’s official Instagram account for the series. In the caption, Pérez wrote:
“Here is a pic I just saw of the actor playing me in the Netflix series. For the record, never met him, haven't seen the script, and I have NO idea what is going on.....but, I'd love to find out.”
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Pérez met his wife when he joined her band in 1990. The couple married via elopement in 1992, despite objections from Quintanilla’s father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. In 2012, Pérez wrote a book about his time with Quintanilla, titled To Selena, With Love.
Selena: The Series is executive produced by Quintanilla’s father, as well as her sister, Suzette Quintanilla. In 2016, it was reported that Abraham was suing Pérez over a then in-the-works television adaptation of his book. Abraham claimed the TV series went against an agreement they signed in 1995 which gave Abraham rights to entertainment properties that include the name, voice, signature, photograph and likeness of Quintanilla.
In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Pérez said his relationship with his late wife’s family is still difficult. In 2017, he claimed they attempted to block him from attending her star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Technically, I was invited via email. But I didn’t feel very welcome, and her family didn’t make it easy. I get the feeling that they were hoping by making it difficult for me that I wouldn’t show up and it would cast me in a bad light to her fans,” Pérez told the outlet. “The fans don’t understand all the hoops I had to jump through just to have a seat at that event.
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Posey is the brother of Teen Wolf star Tyler Posey. His other roles include horror comedy Killer Party (which he is reportedly a producer on) and guest spots on shows like Stitchers. In the official Selena: The Series Instagram, he wrote of Quintanilla:
"Selena's personal life has made an impact on how I perceive mine. Her love for her family, husband, fans, and her other passions, was one of a kind," Posey said. "She knew how to connect with her audience. She made her fans feel special and people knew her interactions with them were genuine. She was born an icon but always remained humble."
Refinery29 reached out to Netflix and Posey for comment.