In 1995, the world mourned the loss of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla. The late artist shared a close relationship with her mother, Marcella Samora, who grappled with her daughter's death and reportedly almost fainted during Selena Quintanilla's murder trial.
Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla, née Samora, shared a close bond with her daughter. While she never took the stage with Selena y Los Dinos — a musical group formed by her husband and comprising of her son and daughter — Marcella Samora played a significant role behind the scenes.
Sadly, she had to endure the loss of a child as the news broke that Selena Quintanilla had been murdered. Her daughter's trial took a toll on all those who loved her but hit Marcella Samora especially hard, as there were days she couldn't make it out of bed.
Selena at the 1994 Grammy Awards in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Marcella Samora and Her Husband Were Very Protective of Their Youngest Daughter
When Marcella was pregnant with Selena, she and her husband were so convinced they were having a boy that they did not prepare otherwise. To their surprise, they welcomed another girl and named her Selena.
Initially, they did not have a name for their child as they only prepared for a boy. However, the woman in the room with Marcella wanted to name her daughter Selena but ended up having a boy. So, the couple borrowed the name and gave it to their daughter.
Selena proved she had inherited the musical gene from her dad, who had quit music to support his family and give his kids a better childhood. However, years later, the father-daughter duo started a band together, Selena y Los Dinos.
Chris Perez, A.B. Quintanilla III, Suzette Quintanilla, Marcella Samora and Abraham Quintanilla Jr. at the ceremony honoring Selena with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 3, 2017, in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Whenever the musical group was on the road, Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla, and her sister, Suzette Quintanilla, would join them. In his book, "To Selena, With Love," Chris Perez, who later became Selena's husband, recalled the close relationship the singer shared with Marcella and wrote:
"Sometimes Selena would lie with her head in her mom's lap while Marcella played with Selena's hair or massaged her scalp."
Marcella and her husband were very protective of their daughter, and, according to Chris, they had to be, as there were often stories of female up-and-coming artists who had to give sexual favors to get to the top. "[...] She was always Marcella's beloved baby girl," he revealed.
Marcella Samora and Abraham Quintanilla Jr. at a press conference for a Warner Brothers Studio movie about Selena on June 18, 1996, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Marcella Samora Was Hospitalized during Her Daughter's Murder Trial
In 1995, Selena's death sent shockwaves after it was reported that the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar, killed the singer. On several occasions during her daughter's murder trial, Marcella would become emotionally overwhelmed, leading to her being escorted out of the courtroom.
According to reports, there were days Marcella couldn't make it out of bed, and after almost fainting in the courtroom, Selena's mother was hospitalized with chest and arm pains after a sudden rise in her blood pressure. Author María Celeste Arrarás wrote about Marcella:
"Marcella Quintanilla was a true lady, worthy of admiration from beginning to end."
Marcella Samora's Life Following Her Daughter's Death
In June 2021, Marcella'a daughter, Suzette, took to Instagram to document the 58th wedding anniversary of her parents. The following year, she shared a picture of Marcella standing beside a portrait of the late Selena.
"Mom came to visit me today and I was so fortunate to capture this beautiful photo of her next to our beautiful Selena," Suzette captioned the post. Selena's fans have been able to keep up with Marcella on her eldest daughter's Instagram page, who shared another sweet photo of her mother in March 2023.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jm1ncW9ga3qurdGcnKWkkWLAornOq5hmrJiaeq21xZ5kqJ5dqLKtsc2aqmegpKK5