Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that the March 31, 1995, shooting death of Tejano music legend Selena left not just the entire nation but also the world baffled to its very core. This much is actually even evidenced in Oxygen’s ‘Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them,’ only for it to then delve into what really transpired that day through the eyes of the shooter herself. The truth is Yolanda Saldívar has always vehemently maintained she didn’t intend to pull the trigger, yet it’s mostly her family — especially her niece Tina — who believe in all facets of her claims.
Who is Tina?
It was back in the late 1980s when everything turned upside down as Tina saw the band Selena Y Los Dios live in concert for the first time in her hometown of San Antonio alongside a few relatives. This included parents, cousins, aunts, as well as uncles, amongst whom was the “baby” of that prior brood of six, Yolanda — she was reportedly the cool aunt due to her younger age plus similar interests. Though what impressed Tina the most was the fact this registered nurse didn’t just hear her niblings wish for a Selena fan club that evening but honestly took it to heart to ensure its existence.
According to the niece, Yolanda contacted Selena’s father/manager until he gave his permission to establish an official fan club in San Antonio, Texas, only for her to then be appointed its President. That’s when she ostensibly began having a close working relationship with the lead singer plus her tight-knit inner circle, per the aforecited original, and it culminated in them growing quite close too. Tina has actually asserted her aunt and Selena gradually became the best of friends — their connection was to such an extent the latter even always called her “buffy” (a term of sheer endearment).
As for how she knows of this, she was there: when the musician promoted Yolanda to join her clothing boutique-beauty salon Selena Etc as a manager, the latter was able to bring on Tina too. In fact, since these two professionals had essentially been tied at the hip over the years, it was as if their families had become welcome extended additions into their respective lives too, meaning they were all friends. It thus comes as no surprise Tina started as a treasurer for the fan club before ultimately evolving into a genuine friend of Selena’s as well as the San Antonio Selena Etc boutique’s manager.
She was hence obviously heartbroken when March 31, 1995, came to pass, yet she believes there was no murder — she knows Yolanda fired the bullet that killed Selena but thinks it was accidental. “I think the big question is, how does somebody who loves somebody kill them?,” Tina expressed in the docuseries. “I just think, in this case particularly, they didn’t mean to. The reason I say that is because I know the relationship between Selena and Yolanda. I was there from the beginning.” Therefore, she and several other family members have been doing their best to shine a light upon the possible evidence that seemingly backs her aunt’s accidental narrative for years.
Where is Tina Now?
Despite the fact Yolanda will become eligible for parole in early 2025, Tina is still determined to obtain some justice for both her and Selena with the help of some cousins plus some old records. However, she apparently prefers to do so while staying as far away from the limelight as possible owing to privacy reasons — she doesn’t want her last name to be known since she’s a proud family woman. She’s also admittedly scared: “Not many people know that I’m Yolanda Saldívar’s niece…,” the Texas native said in the original. “I have friends to today that don’t know that I’m related to [her]. This is the first time I’ve ever really been on camera to say my truths. I don’t feel comfortable coming forward now, but I feel it’s a necessity [so I’m diving in].”
Read More: Did Selena Cheat on Her Husband? Did She Have an Affair?
