Yolanda Saldívar Reflects on Selena Quintanilla-Pérez’s Death
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez’s killer, Yolanda Saldívar, is eligible for parole at the end of this month, and a family member is sharing new details from Saldívar.
In an interview with The New York Post, an unnamed member of Saldívar’s family expressed, “[Yolanda] knows what she did was wrong and she takes responsibility for it. But she was reacting to the way she was confronted.”
According to this family member, Saldívar believes that her fatal confrontation with Selena was, to some extent, a tragic miscommunication. “Selena came at her really aggressively,” they shared. “She was so thrown off by how forceful Selena was being; everything happened so fast. If Selena had confronted her differently, this never would have happened.”
On March 31, 1995, Saldívar tragically took the life of the beloved Latin pop star, Selena, after discovering that Saldívar had embezzled approximately $30,000 from Selena’s original boutiques, such as Selena Etc. Strikingly, Saldívar continues to deny any theft, insisting that her intentions were never malicious.
In February 2024, Saldívar participated in a prison interview that became the focal point of the Oxygen docuseries, “Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them.” In her interview, she claimed there was never any desire to harm Selena. Instead, Saldívar stated her true intention was to end her own life. She recounted the moment of the gunshot, saying, “It startled me. I did not know my gun went off. I did not know that it hit her. It scared her, it scared me. There was never ever any intention to do her any harm.”
Pondering the gravity of her actions, Saldívar expressed profound remorse: “My decisions were my decisions, and the consequences were also mine. I’m regretful for all of that,” she admitted. “If I could turn back time, I think a lot of things wouldn’t be as they are. I want the people to know I miss Selena just like they do. So much. But I know I will see her again in heaven. I know I will. She didn’t deserve to die.”
Taking her emotions a step further, Saldívar reflected on the pain experienced by both families involved. “I am so sorry that she’s gone,” she stated. “I’m so sorry that her family is hurting. And I’m so sorry that my family is hurt. At no point did I mean to hurt anyone.”
Despite her attempts to explain her actions, the documentary ignited controversy among fans and members of Selena’s family. Abraham Quintanilla, Selena’s father, publicly denounced the series. He told TMZ that the content was filled with “nothing but lies.” He firmly asserted, “No one’s gonna believe what she has to say anyway. Everyone knows there’s zero truth to anything that comes out of her mouth.”
In her remarks within the series, Saldívar claimed to have been “convicted by public opinion” long before her trial. As she awaits the review process for her upcoming parole eligibility on March 30, 2025, her family has expressed both support and concern for her future. “She has a place to live. We have never forsaken her,” a family member indicated. “But I don’t know where she’s going to get a job. Who will hire her?”
Insights gleaned from inmates at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, where Saldívar is imprisoned, reveal the complexities of her situation. Many inmates have noted that Saldívar lives in protective custody due to the intense disdain directed towards her. Marisol Lopez—who shared time with Saldívar from 2017 to 2022—remembered how notorious Saldívar had become among the inmate population. “Everyone knows who Yolanda Saldívar is,” Lopez said. “There’s a bounty on her head; everyone wants a piece of her. The guards keep her away from everyone else because she’s hated so much. If she were out in general population, someone would try to take her down.”
Amid the swirling controversies and emotional turmoil, one fact remains stark and undeniable: the legacy of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez endures. Despite the passing of years, her music continues to inspire and resonate with fans around the world, a lasting testament to both her talent and the tragedy that surrounds her untimely death.
