Ever since Netflix premiered the show Selena: The Series, people have gotten a closer look into the life and death of rising Latina pop star, Selena Quintanilla, whose life tragically ended far too young. In the series, viewers also came to know about the intimate romance and marriage she shared with bandmate Chris Perez.
Selena’s passing affected millions of fans across the world, however, it was Perez who was left with a void that will remain forever. Their relationship began in their music group Selena y Los Dinos around 1989 and the couple married in 1992—Perez would remain faithfully by her side until her untimely death in 1995 when she was shot by Yolanda Saldívar, who was president of a Selena fan club at the time and is now serving a life sentence.
Now that the popular series has brought Selena back in the spotlight, it’s also had fans wondering about Perez and what his life has been like after her passing. Not only did the guitarist continue to have success in his own musical and business endeavors, playing guitar on Selena’s posthumous 1995 album, Dreaming of You, and creating his own hot sauce line. But he also went on to find love again and have a family. This is what we know about Selena’s widower and his life after a tragedy.
Chris Perez Remarried After Selena’s Death In 2001
Although Perez will never get over the loss of his first wife, and he would forever keep her spirit alive, he knew that life had to go on. After grieving for years, the musician met actress Vanessa Villanueva through a mutual friend in 1998. They dated for four years before marrying in 2001. However, they decided to call it quits in 2008 when they divorced.
Since their relationship took place before social media, details of their marriage and divorce aren’t known—although it’s been rumored it was due to Perez’s struggles with drinking alcohol and not because of the loss of his late wife. As of today, Perez rarely mentions anything about Villanueva on his social media.
During Perez’s intensely romantic relationship with Selena, the pair never had children—she was just blossoming in her career and Perez was cheering her on as she was starting to rise to the top. It was during his marriage to Villanueva, however, that his dreams of becoming a father came true. The couple had two children together—a daughter, Cassie, and a son, Noah.
What We Know About His Kids, Cassie And Noah
Not much is known about Cassie and Noah, but according to Instagram posts, Perez seems to be extremely proud of both of them—they also are both following in his footsteps playing music themselves. Perez has boasted about Noah, who has Downs Syndrome, on his 16th birthday and shared a “proud dad moment” when he was able to perform with Cassie on stage in front of a live audience.
“Just came across this picture and had a ‘proud dad’ moment… I never thought she’d have the guts to do it, lol! But once again, she surprised me,” he captioned. “My daughter not only went up and sang/played guitar with me in front of thousands of people, she kicked ass! Hoping to do it again when all this pandemic craziness is over.”
The Grammy-award winner’s daughter, Cassie, is on Instagram where she regularly shares her love for both her brother and her dad. According to her profile, she is the mom to a Saint Bernard and is also the owner and creator of a skincare company called Ethereal Beauty.