Maribel Guardia breaks the silence on Julián’s death

The actress responds to accusations about her son's death and details her rehabilitation process.

The letter that clarifies everything

It’s been almost three years, but the pain is still fresh. And now, the accusations too. Imelda Garza Tuñón, mother of Julián Figueroa’s son, dropped a bomb: she said that Marco Chacón, Maribel Guardia’s husband, prevented Julián from staying hospitalized after an implant. And that could have caused his death.

Maribel did not remain silent. He responded with a full letter published in People. And it is a raw, detailed and painfully clear document.

RelatedMaribel Guardia breaks the silence on the death of Julián Figueroa

The device and the truth

“First of all, tell you that it is a pellet that is an adjuvant to avoid taking, approved by the FDA… ‘Naltrexone’ has NOTHING to do with heart attacks, it is tremendously ignorant to say that.”

There you have it. Straight. Guardia explains that the implant was one more tool in Julián’s fight against his problems. A pellet of naltrexone, an opioid antagonist that helps treat addictions by blocking its effects.

But nothing is magic. She says it herself:

“The pellet is not magic, it prevents people from drinking alcoholic beverages, but it does not work towards other substances.”

The important thing here: Julián wanted this. It was his decision. Your search.

The real process (not the gossip process)

The chronology that Maribel gives kills any conspiracy theory:

  • Julián was 35 days hospitalized in a clinic in El Pedregal.
  • It was a requirement to be “clean” for 15 days to receive the implant.
  • The clinic ran out of pellets when it was time to give them.
  • They found a doctor in Torreón. They bought round trip tickets for the same day.
  • Marco accompanied him.

“It was Julián’s decision, not mine, nor Marco’s, we were willing to do everything humanly possible to help him.”

That last line hurts. Because it shows parents juggling between respecting the autonomy of an adult and wanting to save them at all costs.

What really matters

In the midst of this public war between Imelda and Maribel (which already has overtones of a tragic soap opera), the essential thing is lost:

A young man who recognized having a problem and actively sought solutions. A family that tried to support within the chaos. And a duel that is now also being fought in the media.

Maribel’s letter is not about winning a fight. Seeks to clarify medical facts and protect your child’s memory. So that we remember him for his fight, not for the rumors about his end.

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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