Top 10 Things Selena: The Series Got Factually Right & Wrong

Once the band was formed, Selena started taking more and more time off school, much to the displeasure of her teachers. Eventually, her father decided to pull her out altogether so she could focus on her music career. The series suggests that she was in high school at the time, but actually she was only in the eighth grade. However, as we know, this wouldn’t be the end of Selena’s education. She would later go back to get her GED from the American School of Correspondence in Chicago and even signed up to study business administration at Pacific Western University.

Selena y Los Dinos’ origins are rooted in performances at the family’s Tex-Mex restaurant, Papa Gayo’s. But when the 1980s oil crisis hit, the family fell upon hard times. The restaurant went out of business, the family was forced to file for bankruptcy and they were even evicted from their home. With the band as their sole source of income, the family started touring south Texas, taking any gigs they could get. They would play at fairs, weddings, and on the street; yet they were still barely making ends meet. As Selena told People Magazine in 1992, “We had no alternative.”.

To this day, Selena still has her hardcore fans. So when it came to recreating one of her most iconic looks, you could bet they’d be looking for accuracy. In fact, this particular outfit is so legendary that it was even teased in the trailer. She memorably wore this ensemble during her mid ‘90s concert at the Houston Astrodome and the attention to detail is remarkable. From the recognizable cowboy boots down to her earrings, you’d be forgiven for thinking the outfit was on loan from the Selena Museum. You can totally see how much love and dedication went into getting this just right.

By this point, the band had started to develop a fanbase and now they just had to find their look. In the series, Selena is deflated when her own suggestions are ignored and she’s visibly unhappy with the look chosen for her. In actuality, Selena chose the skirt and crop top look despite her conservative father’s objections to her showing her midriff. Creative director Rubén Cubillos recalled Selena’s mother warning her that her father wouldn’t approve. According to Joe Nick Patoski, the author of the 1996 biography, “Selena: Como La Flor” this look was also considered too out-there by the record company.

Music was always a big part of the family, from Abraham Quintanilla Jr.’s own musical past to the family’s jam sessions way before stardom. In Netflix’s version of events, we see Abraham discover his youngest child’s talents when she’s just eight-years-old. The truth is that he discovered her powerhouse vocals when she was about six. He told People magazine, “Her timing, her pitch were perfect, I could see it from day one.”. He was a huge advocate of encouraging his kids to pursue their talents and love of music, and later vowed to keep her memory alive through her songs too.

The romance between Selena and her husband-to-be, Chris Pérez appears to be the most fabricated storyline in the series so far. Understandably, we could never truly know what happened behind closed doors, but the series certainly seems to capture their love for each other. Some details do seem to be omitted, however, including the fact that Chris was in a relationship when they first met and their brief break up. Chris’ early 1990s’ troubles with the law also weren’t shown in the series.. Unlike other members of her family, Chris was not involved in this production, but took to Instagram to share his support for the series.

As previously mentioned, one aspect of Selena and Chris’ relationship that is correctly depicted is that they dated in secret, away from the watchful eye of her protective father. Selena knew he wouldn’t approve and that Chris would most likely get fired if he ever found out. And this is exactly what happened when Abraham did eventually discover the relationship - both in reality and in the Netflix series. We see Suzette warn her sister about the consequences of her actions but eventually, Abraham stumbles upon the truth himself anyway. However, in reality, it’s been said that it was Suzette herself who actually revealed the relationship to their father.

As well as being a pioneer of Latinx musicians and artists, Selena was something of a trailblazer in the fashion world too. The costume team looked through more than 3,000 photos spanning throughout her life and career to identify the role that fashion played in her search for her identity. It’s also true that she was responsible for many of the band’s outfits. In fact, in his book, “To Selena, With Love”, Pérez states that “Selena would draw the designs and choose the fabric, then send everything off to a seamstress who had all of our measurements on hand”.

Christian Serratos is a Selena superfan, so she understood just how important it was to uphold this superstar’s legacy. While she does an excellent job of portraying the singer, she does actually get a hand from the woman herself when it comes to singing. While you can hear Serratos singing throughout the series, anytime you see a performance scene, those are actually Selena’s vocals you’re hearing. They also chose this approach for the 1997 movie starring Jennifer Lopez. Serratos said that they wanted to give the fans what they wanted and admitted that even she wanted to hear the real Selena.

In the final episode of the first half of this two-part series, we’re introduced to Yolanda Saldivar. While we don’t delve into all the details quite yet, we do see how she made her way into the Quintanillas’ lives. In the show, it’s the record label that suggests starting a fan club to help manage Selena’s supporters, which means they have to hire someone to take charge. However, in reality, it was Saldivar who apparently incessantly badgered Abraham for the position - talk about a red flag! While the next installment is likely to explore her story in more detail, we sadly already know how this ends.