Imelda Garza breaks silence on the death of Julián Figueroa

Julián Figueroa's widow reveals unknown details about the medical implant and blames a family member.

The revelation that changes everything

In the midst of the mourning and accusations on networks, Imelda Garza Tuñón spoke. Julián Figueroa’s widow broke her silence with details that no one knew about the singer’s last months.

The most shocking thing: Julián had a naltrexone implant placed when he died in 2023. That combination with other substances, according to Imelda, was fatal.

“The doctor warned him that if he gave him that naltrexone implant he had to stay there, and Marco did not agree to let him stay”

Therein lies the core of his accusation. Imelda holds Marco Chacón, Maribel Guardia’s husband, directly responsible. According to his version, it was Chacón who took Julián to Torreón to have the implant placed in March… but also who did not allow him to continue the complete treatment.

RelatedMaribel Guardia breaks the silence on the death of Julián Figueroa

A deadly cocktail

For those unfamiliar: Naltrexone is a dependency treatment. Blocks the effects of certain substances. The problem comes when someone, having the implant, continues using.

That’s exactly what happened, Imelda says. Julián continued with his consumption and the result was devastating: seizures, partial paralysis of the left side of the body.

The most painful thing comes when you connect the dots:

“If they had put him in rehabilitation, right now I would have a husband and José Julián would have a dad”

Meanwhile, on social networks, some pointed to Imelda herself as responsible. She responds with this interview: she clarifies that she did not even know about the implant when it was placed.

What’s left is a broken family – a fatherless son, a widow grappling with absurd theories – and an uncomfortable question hanging over who made the wrong medical decisions.

Latin stars headline Billboard Week 2026

Greeicy, Jay Wheeler and more will be speakers in Miami.

Billboard Latin Music Week 2026 already has its first round of confirmed speakers. These include Greeicy, Jay Wheeler, Jessi Uribe, Kany García and Rawayana.

Lola Índigo, Paola Jara, Rainao, Ryan Castro, Trueno and Zhamira will also participate. All will offer exclusive sessions during the event.

“We are honored to welcome this year’s talent as we continue to inspire conversations that drive the industry forward,” said Billboard CEO Mike Van.

Who are the speakers?

For more than three decades, Billboard Latin Music Week has fueled key conversations and industry highlights.

The 2026 edition will be held from October 19 to 22 at the Faena Forum Miami Beach. The agenda includes performances, panels and workshops that bring together artists, creators and executives with the public.

Tickets are now available at Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.

Among the executive panelists, Nat Pastor, Victor Gonzalez and Tommy Mottola stand out. More participants will be announced soon.

The event will coincide with the Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will be presented on October 22 in Miami. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Telemundo and Peacock.

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World Cup spectacle boosts artists’ streaming

The World Cup halftime show skyrocketed the views of Madonna, Bieber and BTS.

The halftime performance of the World Cup final, with Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS and Shakira, not only captivated the global audience. It also generated an immediate rebound in the reproductions of his songs on digital platforms.

Luminate, a firm specializing in music industry data, analyzed listening behavior two days before the event and compared it to the day of the final and the day after. The results show significant increases in each interpreted theme.

  • Justin BieberEverything Hallelujah rose 110% globally: from 592 thousand views to 1.25 million.
  • MadonnaMusic grew 66%, going from 193 thousand to 321 thousand.
  • BTSDynamite increased 43%, from 2.14 million to 3.05 million.
  • Shakira and Burna BoyDai Dai, official anthem of the 2026 World Cup, rose 24% globally (from 14.78 to 18.27 million) and 52% in the US (from 1.68 to 2.55 million).

Luminate’s study also revealed that the increase was limited to songs performed in the field, not artists’ entire catalogs. A phenomenon similar to that which occurs with the Super Bowl halftime show.

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Shark Week 2025: K-Pop and diving stars dive with sharks

Rei Ami and Molly Carlson face their fears at sea for Shark Week.

The singer Rei Ami, known for her participation in the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, lived a unique experience off the coast of Korea. He dived with 16 reef sharks during a feeding frenzy.

Far from being terrified, he cried in amazement. “I thought I would be more scared, but I was fascinated. It was witnessing nature,” she said. “You can’t describe the emotions you feel.”

Two ways to face fear

Rei Ami did two cage dives and two freediving dives with hammerhead, reef and bull sharks. His partner on the K-Pop Shark Heroes show, comedian Ken Jeong, preferred to stay grounded. “I’m like Christopher Nolan in Shark Odyssey: I just supervise,” he joked.

The new season of Shark Week starts on Sunday on Discovery Channel, with 20 one-hour episodes. Among them, the participation of diver Molly Carlson stands out, who jumped 15 meters from a helicopter into a plexiglass cage surrounded by reef sharks.

Carlson, who suffers from anxiety, accepted the challenge to inspire others. “If I can help that 16-year-old girl who just wants to hide, I’ll find a way,” he said. “It’s okay to be afraid and do it anyway. That was the purpose of this project.”

The program concludes on August 1 with an analysis of the movement of white sharks northward and the technique used by thresher sharks to stun their prey.

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