Selena’s Father Threatens Trump Supporter Planning Rally at Her Memorial Statue

Julie Sprankles
·3 min read

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The father of late singing icon Selena does not want his daughter’s legacy politicized, and he’s taking legal measures to try to ensure that doesn’t happen. The legal team of Selena’s dad, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., has sent a cease-and-desist letter to a man planning to hold a “Trump Supporter Gathering” at Selena’s “Mirador de la Flor” memorial statue in Corpus Christi, Texas, on July 11.

According to TMZ, Quintanilla, Jr.’s letter outlines that his major issue with the rally is the implication that Selena is associated with any candidate. She and her “treasured legacy” have never been linked to partisan politics, he says — and, more so, tying her name to a politician “with the divisiveness and discord commonly attributed to Donald J. Trump” is damaging to her name.

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Quintanilla, Jr. also takes aim at the fact the organizer of the rally, a man by the name of Joe Michael Perez, has been hawking Selena’s name, image and likeness to promote his event, all of which are trademarked by Selena’s family. That includes using “Bidi Bidi Trump Trump” as a promotional slogan, which is a direct riff on Selena’s famous song “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” Quintanilla, Jr. alleges these Selena trademarks are also being used by Perez to sell merchandise (he owns a Trump memorabilia shop).

This isn’t the first time Perez has been criticized for using Selena as part of his presidential propaganda. In June, a photo he submitted of Selena’s memorial statue in a MAGA hat went viral due to the massive outcry from fans. “What a disrespectful gesture to our Tejano queen Selena,” one fan commented on the viral image at the time. “Selena was all about love.” Wrote another, “This is a ridiculous and disrespectful display.”

Quintanilla, Jr. has warned Perez to delete his Selena-themed Facebook event page for the rally, which is currently planned for July 11, and stop selling any Selena-related merch. If he refuses to do so, says the cease-and-desist letter, a lawsuit will be forthcoming.

But Perez seems undeterred. “We are going to continue with our gathering on July 11 at the Selena Statue in Corpus Christi, Texas, to show support for Trump for all races and ethnicities,” Perez told TMZ, noting that he expects at least 150 people in attendance.

Before you go, click here to revisit other important celebrity lawsuits over the years.

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